News, Stories•
on January 17th, 2012•
Four local visual artists were selected by Community Foundation Santa Cruz County to receive Rydell Visual Arts Fellowship awards for 2012 and 2013.
At an exhibition reception Friday (January 13) for the four current Rydell fellows (Andrea Borsuk, Victoria May, Tim Craighead and Andy Ruble) at the Museum of Art & History @ the McPherson Center, the next two years of awardees, who will each receive $20,000, were announced.
They are (for 2012) Isabelle Jenniches and Encyclopedia Pictura, the artist collective of Isaiah Saxon, Daren Rabinovitch and Sean Hellfritsch.
For 2013, the awardees are Ian Everard and Rocky Lewycky.
Isabelle Jenniches creates images captured from live cameras on the Intranet. Having exhibited around the world, she lives in the Santa Cruz Mountains and divides her time between her studio practice and farming.
Encyclopedia Pictura, the artist collective of Isaiah Saxon, Daren Rabinovitch and Sean Hellfritsch, has teamed up to direct film and art projects that explore science, nature, and adventure. Esquire magazine called them “The Directors of the Future”. The trio was born and raised in Santa Cruz County. For the last two years, they have led an effort to build a unique hillside neighborhood in the redwood forests of Aptos.
Ian Everard is a painter whose work is in the collections of the Oakland Museum and Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. He has been written about in ArtScene, Art Week, San Jose Mercury News and New York Magazine among others.
Rocky Lewycky is a ceramic and installation artist. Recognized as a top emerging talent, he currently teaches art at Foothill College and Monterey Peninsula College.
“Roy and Frances Rydell believed in the arts and in Santa Cruz County’s as a place to live and work,” said Lance Linares, executive director of the Community Foundation.
“The support provided by the permanent endowed fund the Rydells created ensures that artists living in our county will receive recognition and support in perpetuity,” Linares said.
Forty-two artists applied for this round of fellowships from a candidate pool nominated by 29 local and regional visual arts organizations. Nominees were limited to working artists, 25 years or older, who reside in Santa Cruz County and are not enrolled in a degree granting program.
Nominating organizations were asked to consider the broad disciplines the Rydells thought of as part of the visual arts: painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, installation, mixed media, stage set design, photography, costume design, textiles, glass, film and video.
In November 2011, a panel of three nationally-recognized arts professionals met at the Foundation to judge the artists’ works and select the fellowship recipients. The panel members were Elizabeth Armstrong, (Curator of Contemporary Art at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts), Elyse Gonzales, (Curator of Exhibitions at the Museum of Art, Design, and Architecture, UC Santa Barbara), and Gilbert Vicario (Senior Curator at the Des Moines Art Center).
Since 1982, the Foundation has worked to help donors and their advisors invest wisely in causes they care about, to provide grants and resources to community organizations and to offer leadership around key local issues. Visit online at www.cfscc.org or (831) 662-2000 for more information.
Photo images of the artists’ work are available on request and can be viewed online at www.cfscc.org/RydellFellowshipProgram
As nonprofits are continually expected to do more with less, and access to resources has become even scarcer, the Santa Barbara Foundation was again pleased to support attendance of 11 nonprofit executives at a two-day cutting edge leadership conference at the Stanford Nonprofit Management Institute.
Titled “Partnering for Impact,” this year’s conference was geared toward learning creative new strategies for running and growing organizations through tough economic times. Conference sessions were developed specifically for nonprofit leaders and included building the right funding model; creating a volunteerism model for long-term social impact; working across issue sectors; and measuring impact.
The participants will give presentations to share what they learned with the nonprofit community. Last year, more than 150 nonprofit executives attended the post-conference meetings, rating this innovative model for both leadership training and county collaboration as exceptional. The nonprofit executives who attended the conference represent a range of issue areas from health and human services to the arts, education and the environment. This is the Foundation’s third year of sponsorship investment.
See the News Release for more information.
General, News•
on November 14th, 2011•
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County opened the new Jack & Peggy Baskin Center for Philanthropy earlier this year and was recently honored with two international architecture design awards. It was also certified as a LEED Gold Level building by the U.S. Green Building Council. In addition to housing the Foundation’s offices, the center is open for community use, offering local organizations use of meeting rooms and a nonprofit resource center.
See the Media Release.
The Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC) recently adopted a new framework for its largest grantmaking program, one that embraces a countywide vision of “healthy, safe and vibrant communities.” The CFMC’s new Community Impact Grants program (formerly known as the General Endowment) focuses on the people and places of Monterey County, highlighting impact and seeking measurable results. Community Impact Grants will address critical issues and opportunities in four primary areas that advance the Foundation’s mission and vision for Monterey County: Investing in People, Strengthening Communities, Celebrating Cultures and Stewarding Environment. For more information, see the Press Release and Grant Guidelines.
General, News•
on September 16th, 2011•
The board and staff of the Shasta Regional Community Foundation are pleased to announce that after a thorough and diligent search, Kathy Johnson was selected as the new Chief Executive Officer.
Kathy has provided leadership in creating numerous nonprofit organizations and has significant experience working with private philanthropic endeavors, nonprofit management, leadership programs, fund development and volunteerism.
“We are excited to welcome Kathy to the Community Foundation. We believe that she possesses all of the characteristics of a proven leader, is community minded and has a strong financial background” states Kendell Seamans, Board Chair.
Kathy Johnson began on September 12, 2011. See the Press Release.
Communications, General, News•
on September 8th, 2011•
San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation has recently purchased and moved into the historic Barneberg House at 550 Dana St. in downtown San Luis Obispo. The new offices bring to life the theme of the SLOCCF’s most recent annual report, “Inspired by the Past, Creating the Future.”
“When this opportunity became available to us, we knew it was a perfect fit,” explained Executive Director Barry VanderKelen. “This historic home has deep, strong roots in the same community we are committed to supporting and enhancing.” See the Press Release for more information.
“How do we increase charitable giving in our region to ensure the health of community nonprofits into the future so they can continue to do their vital work?”
This question is at the heart of the Greater Sacramento Generosity Project’s mission to understand and nurture philanthropy in the region. The first step of the project has been to quantify giving in the region as compared to national standards, and to understand local motivations for giving – or not. This quantitative research effort, commissioned by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation and the Nonprofit Resource Center, revealed that Sacramento regional residents as a whole, are less likely to give and donate fewer dollars than the national average. The most striking negative variance in total giving was found among households with more than $200,000 in annual income as compared to their national counterparts.
If successful, the Generosity Project could provide a catalyst that will mark a historic expansion in the base of regional residents who clearly recognize charitable giving as fulfilling an essential and personal responsibility to their community’s well-being.
A multi-year community outreach campaign will begin this fall. See the Press Release and Fact Sheet. Download the full report at http://www.sacregcf.org.
California Community Foundation recently launched a search for Unsung Heroes – individuals impacting lives and communities through their selfless and notable acts of charity. Unsung Heroes are individuals who are remarkable and effective contributors to charities or charitable causes and/or exceptional humanitarians who employ leadership and vision in their philanthropy. They must be residents of L.A. County, but their impact can extend to lives and communities beyond.
See the Press Release and Nomination Form, and learn more at www.calfund.org.
