The Central Coast Creative Corps (CCCC) is an innovative grant program funded by the California Arts Council, awarding $140,000 to each of 23 year-long projects. Each grant allocates $100,000 directly to an artist to work in partnership with community-based organizations, including nonprofits, government agencies, and tribal governments. 

Funded by the California Arts Council, the year-long program connected local artists with community-based organizations across Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. 

The program’s goal is to invest in artists across disciplines who collaboratively address civic engagement, public health, social justice, and climate resilience across the Central Coast. Through these partnerships, artists and community organizations create impactful projects that respond to pressing regional needs. This program prioritized communities that demonstrated the highest levels of need as indicated by the California Healthy Places Index (HPI). Download and view the HPI maps of the most eligible areas in our six-county region.

Key resources from the project include an evergreen artist directory - a public resource to discover local artists, their community initiatives, and expertise. The CCCC also delivered professional development classes for artists across the Central Coast, fostering skills for sustained community impact.