July 9, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Santa Monica Receives $75K Grant From National Endowment For The Arts:

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced 59 Our Town grant awards totaling $4.725 million and reaching 34 states in the program’s third year of funding.

The City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division is one of those grantees and will receive $75,000 to create two artist residencies and two sets of banner murals for the Bergamot Station arts center to help attract visitors to Bergamot during the construction process of the Expo station there.

Through Our Town, the NEA supports creative place making projects that help transform communities into lively, beautiful, and sustainable places with the arts at their core.

The grantee projects will encourage creative activity, create community identity and a sense of place, and help revitalize local economies.

All Our Town grant awards were made to partnerships that consisted of at least one nonprofit organization and a local government entity.

The Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division is developing public art interventions for the Bergamot Station arts center to take place over a two-year period during the construction process of a regional multimodal transit hub adjacent to, and integrated with, the arts center.

The interventions will present opportunities for artists to build enthusiasm for an expanding and newly redesigned arts destination, and help mitigate the disruption caused by the construction, which is scheduled for completion in 2016.

Bergamot is an important regional enclave of arts destinations, including fine art galleries, the Santa Monica Museum of Art, the City Garage theater company and a group of creative businesses, including graphic designers, architects and jewelry designers.

The public art opportunities will include two onsite artist residencies, one for each year of the program, which will generate performances, workshops and other participatory art activities, and two sets of banner murals, commissioned from two artist/graphic designer teams, for placement on Bergamot’s most visible buildings.

The City will partner on the Our Town project with Wayne Blank of Bergamot Station Ltd., the Bergamot Station galleries, the Santa Monica Museum of Art and the 18th Street Arts Center.

The project extends the civic engagement component of the Bergamot Area Plan, a major planning process for the Bergamot district funded by a HUD Community Challenge grant.

The planning process is currently generating a specific plan for a new, expanded creative district, which will include an art center, the Bergamot Transit Village and a Mixed-Use Creative District.

Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Manager Jessica Cusick said Bergamot Arts Center is the hub of Santa Monica’s vibrant and successful mixed-use creative district.

“We’re grateful to have NEA support for our effort to engage the talent and imagination of local artists and arts organizations in making Bergamot Arts Center a more vibrant destination than ever while the Expo line is under construction,” Cusick said.

The NEA received 254 applications for Our Town this year. Grant amounts ranged from $25,000 to $200,000 with a median grant amount of $50,000.

For a complete listing of projects recommended for Our Town grant support, visit the NEA web site at arts.gov.

in News
<>Related Posts

Santa Monica Council Votes in Support of Park-Centric Future at Airport Site

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The decision followed a contentious meeting with over 140 public speakers and more than 1,000 emails received by the council...

Housing for Health Chief Appointed to Lead Unified Homeless Services Department

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

Veteran Housing Advocate to Oversee Streamlined LA County Services The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday confirmed the...

‘Adoptapalooza’ Pet Adoption Festival Returns to Main Street This Weekend

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The free, family-friendly event aims to connect adoptable animals with new owners Green Dog Dental & Veterinary Center will host...

Virtual Town Hall to Discuss Proposed Resilient Rebuilding Authority

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The agency, to be run by political appointees, would manage permitting, development, zoning, and funding, modeled after post-disaster recoveries Los...

New Agenda Coaching: Changing Lives in LA

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Students Work Toward Applied Success with Executive Function Coaching Services The demands of daily routines and studies sometimes bear weight...

Saint Monica Prep Students Win Award for Anti-Street Racing PSA Video

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

The winning public service announcement, titled “Not Worth It,” was highlighted in a post on X by @LADOTofficial  Students from...

Anti-Drunk Driving Resolution Introduced as City Council Honors Late Palisades Teen Killed in Crash

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Levi, who was set to attend the University of Virginia this fall, was killed by a drunk driver on May...

Free and Reduced Price School Meals Available for Eligible Families in Santa Monica-Malibu District

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Parents in Need Encouraged to Apply, SMMUSD Commits to Nutritious, Accessible Meals By Brandyi Phillips, SMMUSD Chief Communications Officer Santa...

Big Blue Bus to Raise Fares for First Time in Nearly a Decade

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

The fare increase aims to offset rising costs for fuel, utilities, and supplies, according to the agency. The Santa Monica...

Shore Hotel: A Local Destination for Summer Fun

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Bring on all things summer. Walking or biking along Santa Monica Pier, you might find yourself taking a pause at...

Santa Monica’s 150th Anniversary to be Celebrated with Vibrant State of the City Event

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, beach chairs, and picnics to enjoy during the performances Santa Monica will mark its...

Soprano Golda Zahra Returns to BroadStage For a One-Night-Only Musical Celebration

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Hailed as “the rising star of the opera world” by The Hollywood Times, internationally acclaimed soprano Golda Zahra makes her much-anticipated return to BroadStage in...

(Video) Hundreds of Drones Light up the Sky for Palisades to Celebrate July 4th

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The Event Marked One of the First Large Gatherings Among Palisadians Since the January Wildfires. The Event Marked One of...

Transform Your Life: The Free Virtual ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT Debuts July 18-20, 2025

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT, a transformative three-day virtual event, is coming, July 18-20, 2025, offering participants worldwide a free opportunity...

Santa Monica Home Defies Convention: Architect Eric Owen Moss Debuts Shape-Shifting Design

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Pistachio-Colored Marvel Boasts Curving Walls, Sharp Angles, and Challenging Design A striking residence in Santa Monica is turning heads with...