Each year, the City of Newport Beach distributes funds to arts organizations, enabling them to expand arts programs offered to the local community. To apply, arts organizations are required to meet the following criteria:

1. Only arts organizations are eligible; we do not award grants to individual artists.
2. Arts organizations must propose projects/programs for funding that directly benefit children and adults living in Newport Beach, and schools only within the City’s geographic boundaries. Collaborative events, such as public performances or programs implemented in conjunction with the City of Newport Beach are also eligible for grants.
3. The Arts Commission funds only arts projects/programs which will be presented before January 15, 2024, not general operating expenses.
4. Arts organizations that received cultural grants during 2022 will not be considered unless they have completed and returned their Cultural Arts Grant Completion Report, even if they have not completed some of the components of the project/program by the grant application due date.
5. All applications must be typed or word-processed and complete with requested attachments. You may reformat on the computer as long as the font and pagination appears the same.

Cultural Arts Grants Awarded for 2022

(Recipients of the 2022 Cultural Arts Grants -Left to right: Barbara George, City Arts Commission; Wayan Kaufman, City Arts Commission; Clare Kiklowicz, South Coast Repertory; Vina Spiehler, Baroque Music Festival, CdM; Wayne Norman, Baroque Music Festival, CdM;  Penny Rodheim, Balboa Island Improvement Association; Terry Janssen, Balboa Island Improvement Association; Erin O'Flaherty, Laguna Playhouse; Molly Buzick-Pontin, Pacific Chorale; Amanda Kay White, Backhausdance; Maureen Flanagan, City Arts Commission Secretary; Marie Little, City Arts Commission Vice Chair; Leonard Simon, City Arts Commission; Arlene Greer, City Arts Commission Chair)

The City Arts Commission is pleased to announce that the recipients of the 2022 Cultural Arts Grants are as follows: 

Backhausdance will use their grant to introduce a dance education partnership program called Dance Expressions: Creativity and Choreography, which will be held at two different schools in the Newport-Mesa school district—Corona del Mar Middle/High School and Back Bay Continuation High School in fall 2022.

Balboa Island Improvement Association: $3,000

Balboa Island Improvement Association will use their grant for the eighth season of the Balboa Island Classical Concert Series, held at St. John Vianney Chapel, and the Summer Concerts in the Park, which takes place at Balboa Island Park. 

The Baroque Music Festival, Corona Del Mar will use their grant to present a Handel Gala performance. The grant will cover multiple costs such student tickets and will also bring two Baroque-specialist opera singers from out of state to perform.

The Laguna Playhouse will use their grant for their Our Stories program, which is a series of two to six-week theatrical and fine-art workshops for students in schools and youth centers/shelters in the Newport Mesa school district

Pacific Chorale: $5,000

With the use of these grand funds, Pacific Chorale's chamber choir will present three performances at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church, which includes paid professional singers and instrumentalists from Pacific Symphony. 

The Pacific Symphony will use their grant to fund the Class Act Music Education (CAME) program for elementary school students. This program will be offered at two schools in the Newport-Mesa school district, Anderson and Newport Coast Elementary Schools.

South Coast Repertory: $3,000

The South Coast Repertory (SCR) will use their grant to fund their program, Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) .The TYA program will showcase the production of Last Stop on Market Street for online viewing.