In brief: Berkeley groups, individuals urged to apply for arts grants

BERKELEY

Artists, festival organizers, arts nonprofit groups and nonprofits seeking to make arts part of their programs can apply for one-time grants to support their work and strengthen Berkeley’s arts culture. Learn more about applying, guidelines and eligibility through webinars starting this week. Deadlines range from Feb. 19 to March 12, depending on the grant.

These grants allow individual visual artists to fund new individual works; festival organizers can use them to put on events; arts nonprofits can use the money to fund operations; and nonprofits interested in the arts can use them to create new arts programs. Applicants for each category can attend separately designed webinars to learn about guidelines, eligibility, and how to apply.

Individual artists in Berkeley can get $5,000 for original work and a public presentation. This year’s grants are for film, new media, multidisciplinary arts, social practice and visual arts (two- and three-dimensional). Berkeley nonprofits and Bay Area arts organizations creating arts programs and cultural activities in Berkeley can apply for grants of up to $5,000 to facilitate arts programming collaborations and cultural activities in Berkeley.

Festival organizers can apply for up to $7,000 to put on events that may be new and small in scale or an established festival. Berkeley-based nonprofit arts groups can support operations and programming, apply for a two-year grant of up to $10,000 per year, totaling up to $20,000 over the grant period.

Organized by the city of Berkeley’s Civic Arts Program, these grants support a culturally vibrant and diverse arts ecosystem in our community. Visit bit.ly/3vv7WSp online for more details.

— city of Berkeley

EL CERRITO

Council area’s first with majority openly LGBTQIA+ members

The El Cerrito City Council reorganized as follows on Dec. 17: mayor, Carolyn Wysinger; mayor pro tem, Gabe Quinto; councilmember, Lisa Motoyama; councilmember, Rebecca Saltzman; councilmember, William Ktsanes.

The city of El Cerrito values inclusion and respect for diversity and is proud to become California’s third and the Bay Area’s first city council with a majority openly LGBTQIA+ membership. The council has also elected from its members the state’s first known openly LGBTQIA+ female African American mayor.

City officials and staff demonstrate compassion and respect for others, cultivate a welcoming sense of  belonging and ensure our actions focus on equity in everything we do. El Cerrito celebrates and serves our diverse community by providing exceptional services that create a safe and resilient future for all. Regular City Council meetings are held at 6 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month in City Hall at 10890 San Pablo Ave.

— city of El Cerrito

ALBANY

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service happening Jan. 18

Join the Alameda County Albany Library for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service to bring together local teen-founded nonprofits and other organizations to share their stories of giving back in their communities.

By participating in service projects, we can bridge divides, heal wounds and create lasting change that will benefit our communities for years to come. The event is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 18 in the main hall of the Albany Community Center at 1249 Marin Ave. Visit bit.ly/40pYJYE online for more details and a list of volunteer opportunities.

— city of Albany

To submit an item for our “In brief” section, please email it, at least three days before print publication, to njackson@bayareanewsgroup.com. Each item should be 90 to 180 words and include a short headline along with the name of the group or individual to credit for it.