This Week on the Central Coast…
Support for the arts, for students, and for the environment. It’s a grant-ful week on the Central Coast!
Monterey
Arts Council for Monterey County Announces Recipients of Its Grants
The Arts Council for Monterey County (Arts4MC) is a nonprofit organization that wants to enrich the community through art. Last week, they did that with a series of generous grants to local artists.
The Individual Artist Grant awards financial assistance to artists at different stages in their careers. New artists can be awarded up to $5k and established artists can receive up to $10k.
Nineteen artists across all types of art were awarded. The recipients represent a wide range of artistic disciplines, including visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, and more. The grant money can be used for anything the artists need to grow their career, whether it be to purchase supplies or to pay for workshops and training programs.
The California Marine Sanctuary Foundation Awarded $70 Million
The California Marine Sanctuary Foundation announced it will receive a $70 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration over the next five years. The grant is meant to help combat climate change on the Central Coast by supporting various initiatives, such as flood prevention, fire risk reduction, climate adaptation, and programs to train the workforce in these fields. Funds will be distributed among twenty-one different organizations. The Elkhorn Slough Foundation and Reserve received $6 million to address flooding and habitat restoration.
The Elkhorn Slough Reserve spoke about the effects of rising sea levels on the community. “The sea is rising, and these roads that are near sea level will be severely impacted unless there’s some intervention. And the intervention includes raising the road, but it also includes creating healthy marshes adjacent to those roads”.
If they are able to make these improvements, the Elkhorn Slough Reserve and Foundation hopes to have trails and more vegetation in the area, making it more enjoyable for the community.
Salinas
Salinas Student Wins “Dream of Flight” Scholarship
The “Dream of Flight Scholarship” is awarded to graduating seniors of the Seaside and Salinas chapters of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Monterey County. The scholarship is awarded by MPI Jet and is meant to financially support students in their goals of furthering their learning. This year, the scholarship was awarded to Fatima Abed after reading her essay which told the story of how she learned English and pursued higher education.
Abed’s family moved to New York from Iraq in 2007. Her father took a job at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey which led to the family moving to Salinas in 2019. She read comic books and had great teachers who helped her overcome the language barrier. Despite all the challenges of moving, first to a different country, and then across the country, Abed achieved a 4.0 GPA in high school and was placed in an AP Language course. She said “This scholarship is helping me reach my aspirations of pursuing higher education, like a jet that’s taking me closer to my dreams. Thank you to MPI Jet for this incredible opportunity and support. Your team’s kindness will never be forgotten.” She is planning on majoring in public health while attending UC Berkeley next fall.
New Murals Honor Music Students
Last week, five murals were painted as part of a project by the Youth Orchestra Salinas (YOSAL) in partnership with artist Amy Burkman. Burkman is a professional muralist, live art entertainer, speed painter, and inspirational speaker. She is also known for her philanthropic work and has raised millions for charities through her live art performances.
Each mural depicts a current YOSAL student with their musical instrument. The murals are meant to create pride and confidence in the students and are situated strategically within the city to be seen by many in the community:
Northridge Mall features Angel Monjaraz.
Natividad Medical Center features Litzy Martinez.
The last three are still being worked on, but they are at Sherwood Hall, the United Way Monterey County Office, and YOSAL’s temporary location on Part Row.
The executive director of YOSAL spoke about how meaningful it is to be selected for the grant: “… it shows that the Arts Council values and sees how we’re changing lives through music. It was so important because the work we’re doing is so much more than teaching music.”
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Shakespeare opens with “As You Like It”
The 2024 season of Santa Cruz Shakespeare began on July 13 with the romantic comedy “As You Like it”. The group’s unique take on the classic story incorporates elements of sitcom, vaudeville, and layers of humor and entertainment. On top of these novelties, the play is performed under the trees and stars in the Audrey Stanley Grove at DeLaveaga Park, adding to the magical experience.
This is on-theme for the theater company as they are known for staging bold productions of Shakespeare’s plays. They are committed to enriching the community by bringing people together to celebrate stories about human experiences. The company is all about inclusivity and theater that engages with modern issues.
“As You Like It” will be showing until September 1. General admission prices range from $25 to about $60 with discounts for members.