Funding is provided by Solar Optimum via the LA County Department
of Arts and Culture Public Art in Private Development Program. |
June 2024
Dear, Santa Clarita Artists Association Members,
I have been asked about the award money from Solar Optimum and realized that I should have shared our final approved plan with our members. I hope by reading this document it will clarify some of your questions.
This is not a grant, so we have more latitude as to where our money is spent. Like a grant, money that is not spent by the end of December 2025 is returned. Solar Optimum has matching funds being held in an account until we spend our money at the end of 2025. Then the money being held is released to Solar Optimum.
The expectation of the County of Los Angeles is that we spend the money as we have outlined in this proposal. A report is due during the first quarter of 2026. Karina Medina is capturing data and photos (3-5 photos) of our events that use this money. A report will be written by December of 2025 using the pictures and the data. The County requested documentation and photos of our event as well as our advertising materials as part of this report. It seemed a slide presentation would work best to capture this information. Thank you, Karina!
The Executive Board was in a crunch when we received this information the Wednesday after Christmas 2023. They were looking for a one-year expenditure. They also wanted our proposal by the end of December. I think we made it by the end of January, Charlotte was a great help, as was Sandy, Lori and Buck. We extended our proposal to the end of 2025. Char created the slide presentation, and I presented the slide presentation to Solar Optimum and the County via Zoom. From the slide presentation, a final proposal was created.
The proposal was approved, and we received the development money. The money comes from a new LA tax on developers. The tax money is to go for arts and cultural improvement. Solar Optimum is putting in the solar panels at Magic Mountain and we are located within the 5-mile radius where the company can choose their money to support an art or cultural program.
The people we worked with were so helpful. Our organization has been amazing in implementing the expenditures we can make. This is a great opportunity for us all.
Please read the document (below) and let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Meressa Naftulin
SCAA 2024 President
Dear, Santa Clarita Artists Association Members,
I have been asked about the award money from Solar Optimum and realized that I should have shared our final approved plan with our members. I hope by reading this document it will clarify some of your questions.
This is not a grant, so we have more latitude as to where our money is spent. Like a grant, money that is not spent by the end of December 2025 is returned. Solar Optimum has matching funds being held in an account until we spend our money at the end of 2025. Then the money being held is released to Solar Optimum.
The expectation of the County of Los Angeles is that we spend the money as we have outlined in this proposal. A report is due during the first quarter of 2026. Karina Medina is capturing data and photos (3-5 photos) of our events that use this money. A report will be written by December of 2025 using the pictures and the data. The County requested documentation and photos of our event as well as our advertising materials as part of this report. It seemed a slide presentation would work best to capture this information. Thank you, Karina!
The Executive Board was in a crunch when we received this information the Wednesday after Christmas 2023. They were looking for a one-year expenditure. They also wanted our proposal by the end of December. I think we made it by the end of January, Charlotte was a great help, as was Sandy, Lori and Buck. We extended our proposal to the end of 2025. Char created the slide presentation, and I presented the slide presentation to Solar Optimum and the County via Zoom. From the slide presentation, a final proposal was created.
The proposal was approved, and we received the development money. The money comes from a new LA tax on developers. The tax money is to go for arts and cultural improvement. Solar Optimum is putting in the solar panels at Magic Mountain and we are located within the 5-mile radius where the company can choose their money to support an art or cultural program.
The people we worked with were so helpful. Our organization has been amazing in implementing the expenditures we can make. This is a great opportunity for us all.
Please read the document (below) and let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Meressa Naftulin
SCAA 2024 President
Santa Clarita Artists Association Art Plan 2025
Thanks to the generous support given to us by Solar Optimum we have been able to create an exciting plan through December 2025. Our plan for the next 21 months offers exceptional opportunities for the Santa Clarita Artist Association to connect with our community. We have many events that we presently share with our community and which we will build upon in the upcoming months. In addition, we will be able to plan our first Art Festival in Old Town Newhall! Our membership is excited, and we look forward to implementing our plans.
Art Festival
We are planning an Arts and Craft Festival for early summer of 2025 to take place in Old Town Newhall at the intersection of 6th Street and Main. Vendors at this art celebration will exhibit original art, original crafts and will conduct art demonstrations. We will also engage musicians to preform for our art festival.
Building up to the Art Festival, SCAA will have booths at the City’s Thursday night Senses celebration. We will also have a booth at the Newhall Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning.
We anticipate 100 artists displaying their work in Old Town Newhall. We will include food and drink, musicians as well as artists demonstrations at the fair. We will plan a two-day event with community attendance of about 3000-5000 members of the community attending.
Scholarship Awards
Each year SCAA has granted three awards to high school seniors who will be continuing their education in the arts. These areas include fine arts, graphic arts, digital arts, art education, and architecture. Funds will enable us to enhance our outreach to graduating seniors through the Santa Clarita publications, along with our posts on social media and Instagram. In this way we will inform more high schools seniors in the Santa Clarita Valley about this opportunity for their students. We will be able to increase out scholarships from 3 awards to 10 awards per year. This support will enable us to support up to 20 students.
These Scholarship winners are honored at our SCAA Art Classic.
Art Classic
The Art Classic is SCAA’s annual art fair which includes art awards presented to winning artists. Over 100 pieces of artwork are displayed for two days. We celebrate our artists and our high school scholarship winners at this event.
Support from Solar Optimum will enable the event to be open to the public for two days. The first day includes the awards ceremony with refreshments and music. On the second day, the art fair is open for viewing. During this event participants can view and purchase artwork and participate in the silent auction.
Support from Solar Optimum will allow us to engage in more expanded community outreach. We anticipate 300 people, from our community, to attend on each day, with a total of 600 participants.
SCAA Gallery
SCAA Gallery is open to the public. Our Gallery is run by volunteers from our membership. We have six membership themed shows per year. In addition, we have individual and small group shows throughout the year. Each show has a reception celebrating the exhibiting artists and highlighting the theme with refreshments and entertainment.
With support from Solar Optimum, we will be able to enhance the Gallery experience by upgrading gallery equipment. With needed facility upgrades, we will have the ability to present our artwork on a professional level that will enhance the gallery experience.
Because the Gallery is limited in size, we will be able to increase storage by having a storage unit on the premises. This will enable us to access equipment we need at our gallery openings and for other future events.
We anticipate 2000 visitors over the course of a year.
Art Workshops
The goal of art workshops is to provide quality tutorials by accomplished professional artists toward skill enhancement to our members. These in person tutorials will encompass a variety of mediums which will include, oil painting, watercolor, collage, gouache, and acrylic. Funding support can help us extend this service to the public free of charge and expand the pool of professional artists who will share their expertise. We will schedule six workshops with a total of 180 participants.
Artist Demonstrations
Artist’s demonstrations have always been open to the public. We invite artists to talk about their artwork and show us their process. Funding support will enable us to expand our pool of professional art demonstrators and to purchase audio/visual equipment for an enhanced learning experience.
We anticipate expanded interest and attendance through community outreach. Our goal is to have seventeen demonstrations with total attendance of eight hundred.
Community Outreach
Thanks to Solar Optimum, we will be able to increase our visibility in the Santa Clarita Valley by investing in outreach announcements for our free services to the community and for all the events we put on during the year.
Administrative Support
Solar Optimum support will enable us to engage administrative assistance for work needed for some programing. This new assistance will enable us to successfully manage these programs.
Art Plan Budget
Timeline 2024-2025
Thanks to the generous support given to us by Solar Optimum we have been able to create an exciting plan through December 2025. Our plan for the next 21 months offers exceptional opportunities for the Santa Clarita Artist Association to connect with our community. We have many events that we presently share with our community and which we will build upon in the upcoming months. In addition, we will be able to plan our first Art Festival in Old Town Newhall! Our membership is excited, and we look forward to implementing our plans.
Art Festival
We are planning an Arts and Craft Festival for early summer of 2025 to take place in Old Town Newhall at the intersection of 6th Street and Main. Vendors at this art celebration will exhibit original art, original crafts and will conduct art demonstrations. We will also engage musicians to preform for our art festival.
Building up to the Art Festival, SCAA will have booths at the City’s Thursday night Senses celebration. We will also have a booth at the Newhall Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning.
We anticipate 100 artists displaying their work in Old Town Newhall. We will include food and drink, musicians as well as artists demonstrations at the fair. We will plan a two-day event with community attendance of about 3000-5000 members of the community attending.
Scholarship Awards
Each year SCAA has granted three awards to high school seniors who will be continuing their education in the arts. These areas include fine arts, graphic arts, digital arts, art education, and architecture. Funds will enable us to enhance our outreach to graduating seniors through the Santa Clarita publications, along with our posts on social media and Instagram. In this way we will inform more high schools seniors in the Santa Clarita Valley about this opportunity for their students. We will be able to increase out scholarships from 3 awards to 10 awards per year. This support will enable us to support up to 20 students.
These Scholarship winners are honored at our SCAA Art Classic.
Art Classic
The Art Classic is SCAA’s annual art fair which includes art awards presented to winning artists. Over 100 pieces of artwork are displayed for two days. We celebrate our artists and our high school scholarship winners at this event.
Support from Solar Optimum will enable the event to be open to the public for two days. The first day includes the awards ceremony with refreshments and music. On the second day, the art fair is open for viewing. During this event participants can view and purchase artwork and participate in the silent auction.
Support from Solar Optimum will allow us to engage in more expanded community outreach. We anticipate 300 people, from our community, to attend on each day, with a total of 600 participants.
SCAA Gallery
SCAA Gallery is open to the public. Our Gallery is run by volunteers from our membership. We have six membership themed shows per year. In addition, we have individual and small group shows throughout the year. Each show has a reception celebrating the exhibiting artists and highlighting the theme with refreshments and entertainment.
With support from Solar Optimum, we will be able to enhance the Gallery experience by upgrading gallery equipment. With needed facility upgrades, we will have the ability to present our artwork on a professional level that will enhance the gallery experience.
Because the Gallery is limited in size, we will be able to increase storage by having a storage unit on the premises. This will enable us to access equipment we need at our gallery openings and for other future events.
We anticipate 2000 visitors over the course of a year.
Art Workshops
The goal of art workshops is to provide quality tutorials by accomplished professional artists toward skill enhancement to our members. These in person tutorials will encompass a variety of mediums which will include, oil painting, watercolor, collage, gouache, and acrylic. Funding support can help us extend this service to the public free of charge and expand the pool of professional artists who will share their expertise. We will schedule six workshops with a total of 180 participants.
Artist Demonstrations
Artist’s demonstrations have always been open to the public. We invite artists to talk about their artwork and show us their process. Funding support will enable us to expand our pool of professional art demonstrators and to purchase audio/visual equipment for an enhanced learning experience.
We anticipate expanded interest and attendance through community outreach. Our goal is to have seventeen demonstrations with total attendance of eight hundred.
Community Outreach
Thanks to Solar Optimum, we will be able to increase our visibility in the Santa Clarita Valley by investing in outreach announcements for our free services to the community and for all the events we put on during the year.
Administrative Support
Solar Optimum support will enable us to engage administrative assistance for work needed for some programing. This new assistance will enable us to successfully manage these programs.
Art Plan Budget
- Art Festival and Art Exhibits: $28,000
- Scholarship Program: $5000
- Art Classic: $22,000
- Art Gallery: $40,000
- Monthly Demonstrations: $8000
- Workshops: $10,000
- Community Outreach: $7000
- Administrative Support: $5000
Timeline 2024-2025
- Begin Planning Art Festival in 2024 for 2025
- Gallery Improvements March through June
- Ongoing Gallery Exhibitions
- Ongoing Monthly Demonstrations
- Six Workshops June, August and October 2024 February, May and August 2025
- Art Classic scheduled for September 2024 and September 2025