COLUSA, CA (MPG) — The Colusa County Arts Council will receive a $64,500 State-Local Partner grant that will help keep its gallery open on Fifth Street and sustain arts programming across the county through 2026.
The California Arts Council award is part of a two-year commitment to county arts agencies statewide. For Executive Director Daniel LoPilato, the news brought “relief, gratitude and excitement” after a tense budget season in Sacramento.
“A coalition of public arts advocates were successful in restoring public art funding to the state budget during the 2024 legislative session, when it looked like the program might take a big hit,” LoPilato said. “As a response the CAC committed to a two-year grant to show its support for State-Local Partners. We are very thankful to the Council for its support of organizations like ours.”
The arts council has received a version of this State-Local Partner award each year since 2017. In 2024, the council secured a two-year grant that guarantees operational support through the end of the 2026 fiscal year, and this year’s award is the second disbursement.
“In plain language, this grant is our general operating budget,” LoPilato said. “It keeps the lights on, helping us pay for rent, utilities, wages, insurance coverage, our website hosting fees, and so on.”
The funding also supports core programs such as gallery exhibitions and Colusa County’s participation in Poetry Out Loud, a national literary arts program.
The California Arts Council has also backed local youth arts. A separate grant in 2023 helped pay for Artventure, Family Day workshops and Summer Art Camp. LoPilato said that kind of steady support, combined with the State-Local Partner funding, has allowed the council to build a foundation for larger projects.
supported by the California Arts Council and Colusa County Arts Council members. Courtesy photo
“We fund most of our special programs like Levitt AMP Colusa, the Art Walk, and our upcoming community photography project ‘In the County’ through program-specific grants,” he said. “But this one is the overarching general support grant that makes all of these things possible.”
In the coming months, residents can expect three more years of Levitt AMP Colusa concerts, new exhibitions such as the “Social Studies” group show opening in January, an expanded slate of classes, continued literary arts programs and a new photography program.
LoPilato said state support does not replace local backing. “We absolutely depend on our members and donors to continue providing arts programming and enrichment to the county,” he said.