2020-832-E Arts Commission-LEVEL Retreat arts grant

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DocuSign Envelope ID:746A17E7-C35F-4EBB-BB09-A344032584E6 public application process. These Daycations, brief though they may have been, were a welcome respite from the challenges of COVID-19 and societal upheaval. They allowed us to continue sharing our property with others during a time that has seen a severe reduction in short term rentals. Most importantly, they proved that there remains a tangible need for additional artist spaces in our county. Further, while LEVEL retreat has initially and primarily been focused on bringing outside artists into our community, our next phase goals include the expansion of our artist studio facilities. This will allow us to increase our local impact by directly serving the needs of local creatives. Through this grant award, we will be able to road test our artist selection process and local outreach, all while honing in on improvements we can make to bring LEVEL... well... to the next level. Our trifecta of local artist residency award criteria takes into account two crucial categories — "situational need" and "equal opportunity" — that will help us directly prioritize underprivileged artists. Whether by socioeconomic status, race, gender, sexual preference, age, or health: we aim to help individuals lacking formal studio space or established artist-in-residence opportunities. The pandemic has increased artists' desire to escape their confines, to seek spaces where they can find the solitude and focus needed to try out new ideas or continue honing old ones. LEVEL has a proven track record of being such a space. With a 2020-2021 OCAC Artist Project Grant, we hope to not only inspire a few local artists to create valuable artworks, but to also forge new relationships, sculpt positive memories, and further elevate the extraordinary talents of our peers.