Ojai Arts Commission recommends $100,000 in grants to 28 applicants, raises several awards after debate

The Ojai Arts Commission voted on Nov. 20 to recommend distributing $100,000 in arts grants to 28 applicants, approving a slate of organizational and individual awards and forwarding the recommendations to City Council for final action.

Chair West opened the meeting by outlining the process and said the city had increased the grant pool from about $30,000 in prior cycles to $100,000 this year. The decisions followed a report from an ad hoc committee chaired by Commissioner Karina Wright, who told the commission the panel had individually scored 28 applications, averaged those scores and presented funding recommendations based on the rubric.

Two public commentators urged support for local arts projects. Kevin McDevitt, an independent filmmaker, described The Film Lab, a quarterly short-film screening and networking series in Ojai and asked for help to sustain screenings and modest stipends for filmmakers. "The film lab happens quarterly... we've shown about 25 short films, all from local filmmakers," McDevitt said. Cassandra C. Jones, an artist who runs an artist residency at Taft Gardens and a new gallery in the arcade, urged the commission to help convene nonprofit arts organizations and create a shared calendar so groups do not compete for the same audiences.

On the grants, the commission proceeded item-by-item, accepting most of the ad hoc recommendations and amending several amounts after discussion. The commission approved the ad hoc committee's top-tier recommendations — a set of $6,000 awards for the highest-scoring applicants — by individual motions and roll-call votes. Commissioners emphasized both artistic merit and community reach when explaining their votes.

Several contested or amended items drew extended debate. Commissioners argued that the Taft Gardens residency had a proven track record and deserved additional support; Chair West amended the ad hoc recommendation and the commission approved an increase for Taft Gardens to $5,500. A proposed community radio project (Ojai Community Broadcasting) prompted questions about execution and capacity; the commission reduced the ad hoc recommendation from $4,500 to $2,500 to reflect seed-stage support while asking for clearer plans in future applications.

Commissioners also discussed the mandala element of the city’s Ojai Day celebration, raised by a River-related applicant, and whether the event should be funded from the arts grants program or by the city budget. Several commissioners said Ojai Day is primarily a city-run event and should be supported by council funding; the commission voted not to provide a grant for the River/Ojai Day mandala this year and asked staff to press City Council to consider dedicated funding.

Other approvals included mid-tier awards and a series of individual-artist seed grants. The commission adjusted a handful of amounts in the final pass in order to balance the $100,000 total; its readout to City Council listed the recommended awards and noted the panel’s intent that Council finalize payments before the new year.

Commissioners also scheduled follow-up items: staff were asked to provide a public-art fund accounting for the commission’s December meeting, the commission agreed to separate organizational and individual grant tracks in future cycles, and commissioners signaled plans for a strategic-planning session in December to refine priorities and processes.

The commission’s recommendations will go to City Council for final approval. Chair West thanked the ad hoc committee and staff for their work. The commission adjourned after final remarks and brief commissioner reports.