Artists and Grantees

Imagine what can happen when the right artist meets the right opportunity. Explore artists and organizations that have been supported by Santa Monica Cultural Affairs through artist opportunities and grants for arts organizations.

2025-2026

AoR Microgrant 

• Bantu Arts Collective
• Ballet Folklorico flor de Mayo
• Crayon Collection
• Crow Comedy, Inc.
• John Geary 
• Los Angeles Metropolitalitan Opera
• Los Angeles Nomadic Division (LAND)
• Yulissa Mendoza
• Queer Surf, Green Cities Fund
• Alkaid Ramirez
• Tanya White 

Artist in Residence - Camera Obscura 

• Cheyenne Green
• Harmony Harris
• Faith-Ann Young
• Sara Hassan Khani 
• London James
• Anahid Boghasian

Community Access & Participation (CAP)

• 18th Street Arts Center
• Ballet Folklorico Flor de Mayo
• City Garage Theatre
• California Heritage Museum
  
• Crow Comedy
• Dancessence, Inc. (Donna Sternberg Dancers)
• Del Vaz Projects
• Elemental Music
• Highways Performance Space & Gallery
• Jacob Jonas The Company
• Jewish Women's Theatre (The Braid)
• Orchestra Santa Monica Association
• Santa Monica Conservancy
• Santa Monica Pier
• Santa Monica Playhouse
• Santa Monica History Museum
• Santa Monica Repertory Theater
• Santa Monica Symphony Association
• Santa Monica Theatre Guild (Morgan Wixson)
• Santa Monica Youth Orchestra (Sounds Like LA)
• SOL-LA Music Academy
• Verdi Chorus
• Westside Ballet of Santa Monica
  

Organizational Support Program (OSP) 

• 18th Street Arts Center
• Ballet Folklorico Flor de Mayo
• City Garage Theatre
• California Heritage Museum
  
• Crow Comedy
• Dancessence, Inc. (Donna Sternberg Dancers)
• Del Vaz Projects
• Elemental Music
• Highways Performance Space & Gallery
• HUMANITAS
• Jacob Jonas The Company
• Jewish Women's Theatre (The Braid)
• Orchestra Santa Monica Association
• Ruskin Group Theatre
• Santa Monica Conservancy
• Santa Monica Pier
• Santa Monica Playhouse
• Santa Monica History Museum
• Santa Monica Repertory Theater
• Santa Monica Symphony Association
• Santa Monica Theatre Guild (Morgan Wixson)
• Santa Monica Youth Orchestra (Sounds Like LA)
• SOL-LA Music Academy
• Verdi Chorus
• Westside Ballet of Santa Monica
  
  

2024-2025

AoR Microgrant 

• A. Laura Brody
• Carolyn Dunn
• Creative Visions, Altadena Music
• Dancing Through Prison Walls
• Dorado 806 Projects
• Fanfare Productions
• Sheetal Gandhi
• Asher Hartman
• Andrea Jimenez
• Timara Lotah Link
• LA Freewaves
• Lois Lambert Gallery
• Noni Limar
• Los Angeles Performance Practice
• Savage Muse
• Sunset Park Business Association

Artists-in-Residence

• Sophia Allison
• Raphaele Cohen
• Karen Gibson Roc
• Flora Kao
• Marzieh Karimi
• Christian Sampson

Community Access & Participation (CAP)

• 18th Street Arts Center
• City Garage Theatre
• California Heritage Museum
  
• Dancessence, Inc. (Donna Sternberg Dancers)
• Del Vaz Projects
• Elemental Music
• Highways Performance Space & Gallery
• Jewish Women's Theatre (The Braid)
• Orchestra Santa Monica Association
• Santa Monica Playhouse
• Santa Monica History Museum
• Santa Monica Repertory Theater
• Santa Monica Symphony Association
• Santa Monica Youth Orchestra (Sounds Like LA)
  
• Sharewell (Cayton Children's Museum)
• SOL-LA Music Academy
• Theatre for a Small Space
• Verdi Chorus
• Westside Ballet of Santa Monica
  

Individual Artist Grants, Fellows

• Frances Anderton
• Jona Frank
• Nicola Goode
• Majid Naficy

Organizational Support Program (OSP) 

• 18th Street Arts Center
• The Broad Stage
• California Heritage Museum
  
• City Garage Theatre
  
• Dancessence, Inc.
• Elemental Music
• Highways Performance Space & Gallery
• Jacob Jonas The Company
• Jewish Women's Theatre
• KCRW Foundation, Inc.
• Morgan-Wixon Theatre
• Orchestra Santa Monica
• Ruskin Group Theatre 
• Santa Monica Conservancy
• Santa Monica History Museum
• Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra
• Santa Monica Youth Orchestra
  
• SOL-LA Music Academy
• Verdi Chorus
  
• Westside Ballet of Santa Monica

Our City Yards Artists

• Tanya Aguiñiga (2023-2025)
• Debra Scacco (2023-2025)
  
  

2023-2024

Artists-in-Residence

• Victoria May
• Ana Luisa Petrisko

Our City Yards Artists

• Tanya Aguiñiga (2023-2025)
• Debra Scacco (2023-2025)

Artist Fellows

• Cynthia Alessandra Briano 
• Ann Carlson
  

• Mia Alvar
• Suchi Branfman
• Lola del Fresno

Organizational Support Program (OSP) 

• 18th Street Arts Center
• The Broad Stage
• Building Bridges Art Foundation
• California Heritage Museum
  
• City Garage Theatre
  
• Dancessence, Inc.
• Elemental Music
• Highways Performance Space & Gallery
• Jacaranda Music
• Jacob Jonas The Company
• Jewish Women's Theatre
• KCRW Foundation, Inc.
• Morgan-Wixon Theatre
• Orchestra Santa Monica
• Ruskin Group Theatre 
• Santa Monica Conservancy
• Santa Monica History Museum
• Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra
• Santa Monica Youth Orchestra
  
• SOL-LA Music Academy
• Verdi Chorus
  
• Westside Ballet of Santa Monica

Community Access & Participation (CAP)

2022-2023

• Joana P. Cardozo
• Susan Chorpenning
• Georgina Reskala
• Matthew Lax

Artist Fellows

• Meg Cranston
• Kaitlin Drisko
• Yrneh Gabon
• Kio Griffith
• Tanya Maria White

Arts & Cultural Grantees – Organizations

• 18th Street Art Center
• Broad Stage
  
• Building Bridges
• California Heritage Museum
• City Garage
• Donna Sternberg & Dancers
• Elemental Music
• Highways Performance Space
• Jacaranda Music
• Jacob Jonas The Company
• Jewish Women's Theater
• Orchestra Santa Monica
• Ruskin Group Theatre
• Santa Monica Conservancy
• Santa Monica History Museum
• Santa Monica Playhouse
• Santa Monica Repertory Theater
• Santa Monica Symphony
• Santa Monica Youth Orchestra
• Suarez Dance Theater
• SOL-LA Music Academy
• Westside Ballet

2021-2022

• Zach Dorn (press release)
• Andre Keichian (press release)
• Diane Williams
• Lua Kobayashi
• Melissa Ferrari
• Dakota Noot

• Yule Caise
• Debra Disman
• Jacob Jonas
• Phranc
• Jody Zellen

• 18th Street Art Center
• Ballet Folklorico Flor de Mayo
• Barak Ballet
• Building Bridges
• Broad Stage
• California Heritage Museum
• City Garage
• Donna Sternberg & Dancers
• Elemental Music
• Highways Performance Space
• Jacaranda Music
• Jewish Women's Theater
• Morgan-Wixson Theatre
• Orchestra Santa Monica
• Ruskin Group Theatre
• Santa Monica Conservancy
• Santa Monica History Museum
• Santa Monica Playhouse
• Santa Monica Repertory Theater
• Santa Monica Symphony
• Santa Monica Youth Orchestra
• SOL-LA Music Academy
• Suarez Dance Theater
• Verdi Chorus
• Westside Ballet

2020-2021

Artists-in-Residence

• Marsian De Lellis
• Nataša Prosenc Stearns
• Ray Chang - Final Exhibit
• Edwin Ushiro - Final Exhibit
• Chinwe Okona - Final Exhibit
• Sichong Xie - Final Exhibit

Artist Fellows

• Toba Khedoori
• Marcus Kuiland-Nazario
• Hans Baumann
• Leo Garcia
• Lauren Weedman

Arts & Cultural Grantees – Organizations

• 18th Street Art Center
• Broad Stage
• California Heritage Museum
• City Garage
• Donna Sternberg & Dancers
• Elemental Music
• Highways Performance Space
• Jacaranda Music
• Jacob Jonas The Company
• Jewish Women's Theater
• Morgan-Wixson Theatre
• Orchestra Santa Monica
• Ruskin Group Theatre
• Santa Monica Conservancy
• Santa Monica History Museum
• Santa Monica Playhouse
• Santa Monica Repertory Theater
• Santa Monica Symphony
• SOL-LA Music Academy
• Suarez Dance Theater
• Verdi Chorus
• Westside Ballet

2020

Artists-in-Residence

• Jenny Ziomek
• Laura Davis
• Chuck Hohng
• Matt Reynolds

Artist Fellows

• Leilani Chan
• Larissa FastHorse
• Melissa Barak
• Anthony Friedkin
• Elena Siff

2019

Artists-in-Residence

• Writer - Wally Rudolph: The Ox, the Horse, and the Boar
  interview
• Public Practice: Beach Dances; Guest Curator, Allison Wyper 
  interview
• Choreographer-in-Residence Paola Escobar: Darning Without a Needle
  interview
• Writer-in-Residence Analisa Raya-Flores
• Mimi Haddon
  Final event  and  interview
• Natalja Kent
  Final event  and  interview
• Alex Wand
  Final event , and  interview
• Dahn Gim
  Final event  and  interview
• DaEun Jung
  Final event, and interview
• Max King Cap
  Final event , and  interview

Artist Fellows

• John Malpede & Henriette Brouwers
• Renée Petropoulos
• Suchi Branfman
• Laila Lalami
• Tanya Maria White

• Isabelle D'Amico
• Marisa Caichiolo
• Carmen Casillas
• Jacob Jonas
• Greg Laemmle & Sheryl Myerson

2018

Artists-in-Residence

• Writer - Luis Alfaro: Mother of the Row & The Golden State
  interview, video
• Public Practice: Therese Kelly: Under the Umbrella
  interview
• Public Practice: Sunny Allis: The Storytelling Machine
  interview
• Writer - Catherine Coan: Mistakes Have Been Made
  interview
• Public Practice - Beach Dances; Mecca Vazie Andrews, Suchi Branfman, Rebecca Bruno, Jay Carlon, Sarah Elgart, Jeremy Hahn, No)One. Art House, Alexx Shilling, and Pieter Performance Space.
• Huong Nguyen
  announcement
• Debra Disman
  announcement
• Kate Ingold
  interview
• Brittany Ransom
  interview
• Aparna Sindhoor
  interview
• Lisa Diane Wedgeworth
  interview
• Echo Park Film Center I’ll Be Your Mirror project
  interview

Artist Fellows

• D'Lo
• Jacob Jonas
• Dan Kwong
• Mark Sarvas
• Christine Suarez

2017

Artists-in-Residence

• Writer - Dinah Berland: Fugue for a New Life
• Choreographer - Jay Carlon: Out of Bounds
  interview
• Writer - Sakae Manning: Kimono Blues
  interview
• Public Practice: Kiel Johnson
• Public Practice: Beck + Col

• Grace Hwang
• Tracy Bromwich
• Shannon Freshwater
  interview
• Frau Fiber’s Tailor Made project
  interview

Artist Fellows

• Clayton Campbell
• Alex Donis
• Phyllis Green
• Suzanne Lacy
• Michael Roth

2016

Artists-in-Residence

• Writer - Jennifer Caloyeras: Time May Change Me
• Theater - Post Mortem Dance Theater Company: Ubuntu
• Public Practice - Machine Project: Snorkel Dreams, the Machine Project Guide to Art Underwater
• Patricia Mitchell
• Francisco Valdez
• Zeal Harris

Artist Fellows

• Luciana Abait
• Lita Albuquerque
• Laila Lalami
• Robin Mitchell
• Jody Zellen

• Malissa Shriver
• Fred Deni
• George Small

2015

Artists-in-Residence

• Writer - Laurie Horowitz: Hemlock Gorge
• Choreographer - Rebecca Bruno: Fixtures
• Zeina Baltagi
• Miles Lewis
• Alexis Macnab
• Richard Hutman
• Leslie Robinson
• Christine Suarez

Artist Fellows

• Carl Cheng
• Eileen Cowin
• Mitch Greenhill
• Dan Kwong
• Lionel Popkin

• Herb Alpert & Lani Hall
• Jan Williamson
• Susan Hayden 

2014

Artists-in-Residence

• Writer - Helen Lessick
• Theater - Four Clowns: Noah & Jonah
• Choreographer - Ana Maria Alvarez / Contra-tiempo Urban Latin Dance Theater: Agua Furiosa
• Luke Haynes

Artist Fellows

• Helen K. Garber
• Cynthia Ling Lee
• Doni Silver Simons
• Donna Sternberg
• Charles Yu

• Susanna Dakin
• Yossi Govrin
• Donna Sternberg

2013

Artists-in-Residence

• Writer - Charles Hood
• Theater - Rogue Artists Ensemble: Hyperbole: Bard

• Abby Sher
• Wayne Blank
• John Swihart
• Bruria Finkel

2012

Artists-in-Residence

• Writer - Lucy Wang
• Theater - Salty Shakespeare: Salty Shakespeare’s Hamlet
• Choreographer - Sheetal Gandhi: I Am You

Artist Fellows

• Eileen Cowin
• John Humble
• Cynthia Ling Lee
• David McDonald
• Michael C. McMillen

2011

Artists-in-Residence

• Writer - Sandro Meallet
• Theater - Santa Monica Rep: The Tempest!
• Choreographer - Keith Glassman: Timeless: Marxist Dances at the Beach

Artist Fellows

• Lita Albuquerque
• Patrick Kennelly
• Rudy Perez
• Lionel Popkin
• Jody Zellen

2010

Artists-in-Residence

• Choreographer - Holly Rothschild: This is Not Here
• Theater - Shakespeare Santa Monica: Merchant of Venice

Artist Fellows

• Phyllis Green
• Diane Meyer
• Meena Nanji
• Allen Ruppersberg
• Analia Saban

2009

Artists-in-Residence

• Majid Naficy