When incarcerated youth have the opportunity to write about their lives, it gives them a chance to reflect, dream, and even vent. That’s what happens when they write stories for The Beat Within at Marin’s Juvenile Hall.  Read more.

Learn more about arts in the community

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Find out about the results of our grantmaking

MCF Strategic Plan:

Arts in the Community

Engagement with arts and cultural activities is an important aspect of an individual's personal development and quality of life and fosters a sense of community, respect, and understanding of others. Many factors are undermining the effectiveness of the arts in building community: lack of public awareness of arts and cultural opportunities, time constraints on individuals and families, competing sources of recreation, the segregation of audiences, and the continued economic pressure facing arts organizations. Arts and cultural organizations need improved understanding of the economic and cultural marketplace in Marin County and strategies to engage diverse audiences more effectively.

Strategy: Strengthen Marin’s arts sector to increase public engagement in the arts

MCF is focusing its support on arts programming for underserved populations, including low-income residents, people of color, LGBTQ, immigrants, and at-risk youth. The Foundation is supporting an array of arts and cultural programming and activities aimed toward these groups.

In addition, MCF recognizes that many Marin residents are unable to engage in arts and cultural programs and activities due to isolation and/or institutionalization. The arts offer a powerful mechanism to make a difference in the lives of these residents and assist their continued or renewed participation in community activities.

MCF is also helping arts organizations increase public engagement in the arts. Capacity-building projects include helping arts groups form a cohesive network and providing support for professional development, strategic planning, and innovative arts programming.

In addition, MCF is providing technical assistance support to grantees to craft strategies aimed at broadening, deepening, and diversifying their audiences. Arts organizations depend heavily on earned income as well as contributed income from their audiences. Therefore, increased audiences and audience commitment will provide greater financial stability over time.

Grants made since the implementation of MCF’s Strategic Plan:

Grants
Organization Description Awarded Amount
Bay Area Discovery Museum To support implementation of an audience develpment plan. $15,000
Bay Area Discovery Museum To support implementation of an audience develpment plan. $47,500
Bay Area Discovery Museum To support implementation of an audience develpment plan. $50,000
Bernard Osher Marin Jewish Community Center To support implementation of the audience development plan. $38,000
Bernard Osher Marin Jewish Community Center To undertake audience development efforts. $40,000
Bernard Osher Marin Jewish Community Center To undertake audience development efforts. $20,000
Bread & Roses To provide professional artists and instructors to work with inmate artists. $60,000
Bread & Roses To support arts opportunities for institutionalized residents in Marin. $55,000
Bread & Roses To support arts opportunities for institutionalized residents in Marin. $50,000
California Film Institute To support audience development implementation. $50,000
California Film Institute To support the planning phase of an audience development project. $20,000
Canal Welcome Center To support cultural programs. $14,000
Circus Bella To support Circus in the Parks in Marin. $5,500
Dance Palace Community Center To support capacity building efforts. $20,000
Dance Palace Community Center To support capacity building. $20,000
Dance Palace Community Center To support Noche de la Familia. $5,000
DrawBridge To support arts education and opportunities for creative expression for homeless youth and their families. $7,500
DrawBridge To support arts education and opportunities for creative expression for homeless youth and their families. $10,000
DrawBridge To support arts education opportunities for homeless youth and their families. $6,000
DrawBridge To supports art programs for homeless children. $15,000
ForWords To support ForWords. $15,000
Gallery Route One To support photography classes for Latinos. $10,000
Giant Steps of America To provide music expression and apprenticeship opportunities for youth in Marin City. $3,000
Giant Steps of America To provide music expression and apprenticeship opportunities for youth in Marin City. $7,500
Giant Steps of America To support Juvenile Hall and community-based music education programming and outreach. $15,000
Hannah Project Partnership for Academic Achievement To support the Village Arts Community Education project. $10,000
Headlands Center for the Arts To support audience engagement implementation. $50,000
Headlands Center for the Arts To support the planning phase of an audience development project. $20,000
Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center To support development of an audience development strategy. $15,000
Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center To support implementation of an audience develpment plan. $50,000
Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center To support implementation of the audience development plan. $47,500
Luna Dance Institute To support Family Dance in Marin City. $8,550
Marin Arts Council To provide arts education, mentoring, and apprenticeship opportunities to students. $15,000
Marin Arts Council To support arts education and creative expression opportunities for youth in Juvenile Hall, County Community School, and other institutional settings. $7,500
Marin Arts Council To support capacity building efforts. $20,000
Marin Arts Council To support development of an audience development strategy. $20,000
Marin Arts Council To support implementation of an audience develpment plan. $40,000
Marin Arts Council To support the TeamWorks Arts & Mentoring Program. $15,000
Marin Community Foundation To provide technical assistance and consulting services to participants in audience development efforts. $100,000
Marin Community Foundation To provide technical assistance and consulting services to participants in audience development efforts. $38,000
Marin Community Foundation To provide technical assistance and consulting services to participants in audience development efforts. $32,000
Marin Community Foundation To support Arts in the Community consultant work. $24,250
Marin Community Foundation To support consultant work for Arts in the Community. $56,400
Marin Community Foundation To support consultant work for audience development. $42,750
Marin Community Foundation To support planning for the Marin Cultural Census. $50,000
Marin History Museum To support development of an audience development strategy. $15,000
Marin Symphony Association To support audience development implementation. $50,000
Marin Symphony Association To support development of an audience development strategy. $35,000
Marin Theatre Company To support development of an audience development strategy. $20,000
Marin Theatre Company To support implementation of the audience development plan. $38,000
Marin Theatre Company To support implementation of the audience develpment plan. $40,000
Marin Theatre Company To support two free performances of In The Red And Brown Water. $5,000
Mill Valley Philharmonic To support audience development implementation. $17,000
Mill Valley Philharmonic To support the planning phase of an audience development strategy. $10,000
Mountain Play Association To support development of an audience development strategy. $20,000
Pacific News Service To support The Beat Within creative writing program at Marin Juvenile Hall and in community settings. $20,000
Pacific News Service To support The Beat Within creative writing program at Marin Juvenile Hall and in community settings. $24,000
Pacific News Service To support The Beat Within creative writing program at Marin Juvenile Hall and in community settings. $15,000
Performing Arts Workshop To conduct eight 16-week artistic residencies at Marin County Juvenile Hall and Phoenix Academy County Community School. $15,000
Performing Arts Workshop To support Artists-in-Communities. $10,000
Performing Arts Workshop To support arts education and opportunities for creative expression for teenage youth in institutional and community settings. $7,500
San Geronimo Valley Community Center To support a collaboration with Los Cenzontles. $5,900
San Geronimo Valley Community Center To support development of an audience development strategy. $20,000
San Geronimo Valley Community Center To support implementation of an audience develpment plan. $40,000
San Geronimo Valley Community Center To support implementation of the audience development plan. $38,000
Small Press Distribution, Inc. To support development of an audience development strategy. $20,000
Small Press Distribution, Inc. To support development of an audience development strategy. $15,000
Small Press Distribution, Inc. To support implementation of the audience development plan. $19,000
Spectrum LGBT Center of the North Bay To support Seen Through Film. $15,000
William James Association To provide professional artists and instructors to work with inmate artists. $20,000
William James Association To support art programs at San Quentin. $25,000
William James Association To support visual arts classes and workshops, music workshops, theatrical rehearsals and productions, creative writing, and spoken word classes. $15,000
Youth in Arts, Inc. To support community arts partners. $15,000
Youth Leadership Institute To support Youth Arts for Social Change. $14,550
Total Arts in the Community Grants: $1,864,900.00