SBCS’s Creative Youth Development program received a grant award of $38,000 to help SBCS promote arts and literacy learning in Chula Vista. SBCS will partner with XoQUE-Art in Motion, to employ local youth, community members and artists to collectively produce a mural at Lauderbach Park in Chula Vista.
The projected sum of grants to be awarded for 2022’s regular program funding cycle is more than $72 million, the largest annual investment in the California Arts Council’s 46-year history. It is largely supported by the $40 million one-time boost in support for the agency’s creative youth and arts education development programs.
The mural will embody the many cultures represented in South Bay communities. This project will be facilitated by art therapists as a way to improve cognitive and sensorimotor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts and distress, and advance societal or ecological change.
“We are delighted to receive this award and bring the mural project to fruition. The arts are a powerful source for good in our community, enabling us to inspire hope and bring people together. We are thrilled to continue our important work in South Bay and are grateful for the youth and resident leaders who are championing this effort. These dynamic leaders will be commemorated in the mural for their dedication and contributions,” said Kathryn Lembo, president & CEO of SBCS in a press release.
California Arts Council Director Jonathan Moscone said the resilience and creativity of California’s arts and cultural field in the last three years has been remarkable.
“We are proud to be able to support the great work that California’s artists, culture bearers and cultural workers are doing within our communities as an indelible part of our state’s identity,” he stated.
