CCA Receives Major Grants

San Francisco, August 4, 2005

The college recently received grants from three important foundations: the James Irvine Foundation, the Fletcher Jones Foundation, and the Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation. Notification of a sizable award also came from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Irvine Foundation renewed its leadership support of CCA with a three-year grant of $450,000. This award will underwrite educational opportunities for youth from low-income and underserved communities, including mentorship classes, the Pre-College summer program, the new Community Arts major, and student scholarships. In 2002, the Irvine Foundation awarded CCA a three-year grant of $700,000 to fund a collegewide program to increase sustainable diversity as part of the Campus Diversity Initiative.

The college also received a $100,000 grant from the Fletcher Jones Foundation to create the Fletcher Jones Endowed Scholarship. This is the first award that the college has received from this foundation. The Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation, established after the death of this beloved benefactor, is also a new supporter. The college has received $150,000 for exhibitions and related programs of the CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts.

In addition to foundation support, CCA also received two awards from the National Endowment for the Arts: (1) a $40,000 Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth grant to underwrite curriculum and professional development for teachers at the Center for Art and Public Life's partner schools in Oakland and (2) a $20,000 Access grant to digitize the Capp Street Project archive.

CCA president Michael S. Roth commented, "Receiving support from foundations and government agencies is crucial to maintaining and growing the diverse programs at CCA. Because these organizations receive requests for many worthy projects, it's particularly gratifying to be selected. Foundation and government support validates the direction we're taking with our programs and is an indication that we are doing important, state-of-the-field work in arts education. When funders renew their support, as in the case of the Irvine Foundation, it allows us to take what we've learned and build on it. We are extremely grateful to these organizations for their generosity and foresight."