Council ratifies Arts Commission's $100,000 grant recommendations after public praise

The Ojai City Council on Dec. 9 approved the Arts Commission’s recommendation to award $100,000 in community arts grants, a package the commission said was selected using a new rubric and an ad-hoc review process intended to increase transparency and equity.

The process: Arts Commission leadership described a public scoring rubric and an ad-hoc committee that evaluated applications. Chair Smitty said the commission doubled the number of recipients and doubled top awards — increasing the maximum award from about $3,000 to roughly $6,000 — while setting an entry threshold around a 70 percent score.

Public reaction: Several local arts leaders — including representatives from youth theater and community chorus organizations — spoke in favor of the grants and described the awards as meaningful to sustaining arts education and local performance opportunities. “This support helps us expand access to more and more children,” one speaker said of grant impacts on scholarships and programming.

Council action: A motion to approve the commission’s recommendations was made and seconded; the council approved the recommendation by roll call. One council member recused or abstained on an item where they had a personal interest, as noted at the dais.

Why it matters: Council members and applicants framed the grants as an investment in the local creative economy, with speakers noting that city funds distributed to nonprofits help sustain arts education and local cultural institutions.

Next steps: Awardees will be notified and the commission will oversee distribution; the council congratulated the commission for the rubric-based process and transparency.

No funding amounts beyond the $100,000 total and the described maximum awards were altered during the meeting.