Grants Program | Arts in California Parks
Grants Program
The Arts in California Parks grants program activates local parks through community-centered art and cultural experiences that foster creativity, connection and a deeper relationship to California’s natural and cultural landscapes.
Now in the third year of a three-year pilot initiative, Arts in California Parks grants program has invested $5.4 million since 2024 to support 61 projects statewide – $2.8 million awarded to 31 grantees in its first year and $2.6 million to 30 grantees in the second year. In the third year, the program anticipates awarding an additional $2.6 million to support new implementation projects across California.
Together, these projects transform local parks into vibrant, welcoming spaces where art, culture and community come together – celebrating local histories, amplifying diverse voices and creating meaningful experiences for residents and visitors alike.
2026-27 Grant Cycle
The 2026–27 grant cycle marks the final year of the Arts in California Parks three-year pilot initiative.
Implementation Grants
Grant Term: 12 months (October 2026 – September 2027)
Objective: Support organizations that are ready to deliver community-centered art and cultural programs in local parks through strong, well-established partnerships.
Thank you for the 2026-27 grant cycle applications!
The selected grantees will be announced in October 2026. Stay tuned for updates by subscribing to Parks California's newsletter.
Meet our 2025-26 Grantees
From large-scale performances to culturally focused installations, this year’s grantees provide opportunities for residents and visitors alike to engage with the arts while deepening their connection to nature and local history.
See Prior Grantees
2026-2027 Arts in California Parks Grantees
Jurupa Area Recreation and Parks District
Jurupa Area Multi-Cultural Arts Celebration
The Jurupa Area Recreation and Park District will hold a free multicultural arts celebration in April 2027 at Agate Park. The event brings together local residents, highlights diverse traditions and activates the park with inclusive arts programming.
REACH – Regional Eco Arts Community Hub
REACH, a community-centered artist residency, will support 16 artists over eight months and increase community engagement and creative placemaking.
Pony in the Park
Pony Box Dance Theatre and partners will run a yearlong dance program in Palm Springs parks, featuring performances, workshops and classes that center LGBTQ stories and build community.
Adelanto Arts in the Park Program
Adelanto Arts in the Park will offer 40 arts activities in five city parks, encouraging creative expression and community participation through workshops and public art.
Imperial Valley Equity and Justice Coalition
Expanding the Cultural Hotspot in Imperial Valley’s North End
Imperial Valley Equity and Justice and partners will transform Rademacher Park with public art, gardens, shade and workshops to create a welcoming, creative refuge that celebrates community identity.
Davis Flash Film Challenge – Films from the Greenbelt
Everywhere Science will host Films from the Greenbelt, a free, all-ages filmmaking challenge and outdoor film festival inspired by the Davis Greenbelt.
Broad Room Creative Collective Sacramento
North Highlands Mutual Aid Fair and Mural Project
Broad Room Creative Collective and partners will activate Freedom Park with a mural, workshops and a Mutual Aid Fair to strengthen community ties.
Elderberry Jam: The California Flute Revival
Reimagine the Land will host the California Flute Revival, a series of free workshops and performances celebrating Indigenous music, art and culture.
Tzicatl Community Development Corporation
Serpent Mound: Indigenous Land Art at Ya'anna Village
Tzicatl Community Development Corporation and partners will build the Serpent Mound at Ya’anna Village, an Indigenous land art installation and community landmark near Debs Park.
Somos LA Arte y Tierra: Homeboy Art Academy’s Healing Artworks
Homeboy Art Academy will lead a yearlong arts program for justice-impacted youth from Homeboy Industries, ending with a traveling exhibition in Los Angeles parks.
Meiners Oaks Park: Abandoned Property Turned Vibrant Park
Meiners Oaks Park will transform 2 acres of abandoned land into a neighborhood park with public art, gathering spaces and native landscaping.
Kumeyaay Arts and Ancestral Lands
Tipey Joa Native Warriors and partners will host cultural arts events and workshops at Mission Trails Regional Park, celebrating Kumeyaay history and traditions.
Walk With Yáamay
New Village Arts will present A Walk with Yáamay, a yearlong series of Indigenous art walks at 10 Southern California sites, featuring original works and performances by Native artists.
Mesa Grande Indian Housing Authority
Hallyeyaaw Lane Park: Native Arts & Heritage Space
Mesa Grande Indian Housing Authority will open the first phase of Hallyeyaaw Lane Park, a cultural park in Santa Ysabel with an interpretive trail, art and community events celebrating Indigenous culture.
Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps
Eastern Sierra Arts and Stewardship Project
Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps will launch Eastern Sierra Arts and Stewardship, centered on an eight-day wilderness trip and public workshops that combine art, wellness and stewardship.
Harvesting Acorns: A Me-Wuk Heritage Mosaic at Mary Laveroni Park
Tuolumne County Public Works and Groveland Community Services District will create a community mosaic mural at Mary Laveroni Park honoring Me-Wuk history and community identity.
Public Art and Conservation Tributes
Tehama Conservation Fund will launch ImPACT — Implementation of Public Art and Conservation Tributes — at Samuel Ayer Park, bringing public art, environmental education and programs focused on wildlife migration, habitat and nature.
Anderson Valley Community Services District
A Celebration of Pomo Culture through Mosaic Art in Our Park
Anderson Valley Community Services District will celebrate Pomo culture with mosaic art at Anderson Valley Community Park honoring Indigenous culture and community connection.
Mountain Bike Tribal Trail Alliance
Voices of the Land: Tribal Art at Blue Lake Bike Park
Mountain Bike Tribal Trail Alliance and Blue Lake Parks and Recreation will bring Indigenous art and storytelling to Blue Lake Bike Park, celebrating Indigenous heritage.
Ink People Center for the Arts
Wusatoumuduk: We Make it Burn
Ink People Center for the Arts will bring a free multimedia play to Humboldt County parks, centering Native perspectives on wildfire and cultural burning.
Weaving with Wisdom: A Regional Gathering of Native Weavers and Cultural Stewards
Sankofa Roots will host Weaving with Wisdom, a gathering of up to 200 Native weavers and artists at Camp Jones Gulch to celebrate Indigenous basketweaving.
Discovering Jackson Playground's past, present and future through Artistic Expression
Friends of Jackson Park and partners will lead a public art project at Jackson Playground focused on storytelling, cultural history and neighborhood identity.
Music in the Park – Richmond Cultural Concert Series
The City of Richmond Community Services Department and partners will host Music in the Park, a free concert series celebrating Richmond’s cultural traditions.
Crescent Moon Theater Productions
The Hidden Network
Crescent Moon Theater Productions will bring The Hidden Network to redwood forests in Marin County, Big Sur and Eureka, connecting ecological science, Indigenous knowledge and community stories.
Pollinating Cultura
Valley Improvement Projects and partners will host a yearlong series of free arts, culture and environmental programs in Central Valley parks to strengthen neighborhood connections and celebrate Central Valley culture.
My Voice Media
The Arts Consortium and Visalia Parks and Recreation Department will lead the My Voice Media Project, a free arts program supporting community mental health at Whitendale Park.
Art in the Park: Summer Creative Encounters
Imagine Community Arts Center and the City of Porterville Parks will lead Art in the Park: Summer Creative Encounters, a free youth arts initiative with eight Saturday events in summer 2026.
South Tower Community Land Trust
South Tower Park Activations
South Tower Community Land Trust will lead the South Tower Park Activations project, creating three large murals at Broadway Parque and Canal Market in Fresno.
Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation
Oxnard's Paseo Cultural: A Trail of Art, Equity, and Park Stewardship
Oxnard Performing Arts Center Nonprofit and partners will lead a yearlong Paseo Cultural, activating Plaza Park, Community Center Park East and Campus Park with arts and cultural programming.
California Habitat for Indigenous Arts
Stories of the Land: A Chumash Cultural Storytelling Initiative
California Habitat for Indigenous Arts, Chumash Artist Guild and Chumash tribal communities will lead Stories of the Land, a yearlong cultural arts and interpretation program at historic Chumash sites in Santa Barbara County parks.
Isla Vista Recreation & Park District
Wild At Dark
Wild at Dark, led by Isla Vista Recreation and Park District and partners, will transform Isla Vista parks into immersive nighttime art experiences with projection, light and sound.
Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
Connecting Our Past and Present through Art at Evergreen Cemetery
Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History will lead a yearlong series of arts and cultural programs at Evergreen Cemetery, reimagining it as a civic space for recreation, creativity and gathering.
Hijos Del Sol Arts Productions
Re-Create Salinas: Arts in the Parks
Hijos del Sol Arts Productions will expand Arts in the Park into Re-Create Salinas, a citywide series of free, bilingual arts programs in Salinas parks.
“Exploring themes of healing and heritage through media art, our transformative ‘Land and Lenses’ program engages youth as leaders and changemakers — connecting the community to one of our region’s most valued natural resources, Otay Valley Regional Park,” states Sarah E. Beckman, executive director, Outside the Lens.
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