Cultural District
Resilience Fund
State advocacy is working. Local resilience still matters.
Earlier this summer, Nevada County Arts & Culture faced the loss of substantial State funding supporting our two California Cultural Districts in Grass Valley–Nevada City and Truckee.
Our community responded. So did advocates across California.
Now, the California Legislature has approved new funding for the State’s Cultural Districts program. We are tremendously encouraged by this progress and grateful to everyone who spoke up.
But this is not the end of the story.
We do not yet know how much funding Nevada County’s two districts will ultimately receive, and the proposed State investment does not create a permanent source of support.
The experience of this summer has reinforced something already at the heart of Culture Forward: the long-term health of Nevada County’s cultural ecosystem requires a more diversified and resilient funding base.
Your gift today helps keep Grass Valley–Nevada City and Truckee Cultural Districts working — and doubles the impact of local support at a critical moment.
The Resilience Fund is evolving with the moment.
What began as an emergency response is becoming an investment in longer-term stability.
Your gift helps Nevada County Arts & Culture:
Sustain momentum
Protect the partnerships, services and cultural infrastructure already built through our two Cultural Districts.
Leverage public investment
Demonstrate that State support is met by meaningful local commitment.
Build resilience
Grow individual giving, business partnerships, philanthropic support, membership and other sustainable revenue.
Advance Culture Forward
Move from planning into implementation across cultural visibility, creative career pathways, regional collaboration and long-term resource development.
State advocacy matters. Local investment matters too.
Together, they give us the opportunity to build something stronger than dependence on any single budget cycle.
Support the Cultural District Resilience Fund
What your gift helps sustain
Your gift supports the shared infrastructure behind Nevada County’s Cultural Districts—infrastructure now at risk— including:
Grants for artists, culture bearers, arts organizations, and community-led cultural projects
Artist services, professional development, and creative career pathways
Public art, youth arts, and education programs
MUSE, our free guide to local arts, culture, artists, and creative businesses
Three Artist Directories—Nevada County Artist Directory, Upstate Artists Directory, and MUSE Artist Directory
Community Arts Calendar and Calls to Artists
Cultural District newsletters reaching residents, visitors, artists, and partners
Cultural tourism and creative economy coordination
Implementation of Culture Forward and its long-term Funding Plan
Impact by the numbers
In 2025–2026, Nevada County Arts & Culture is administering $340,450 in grants for artists, culture bearers, and arts organizations.
This includes:
18 Grass Valley–Nevada City Cultural District mini-grants
14 Truckee Cultural District grants
$240,000 in Upstate Individual Artist Fellowship regranting across 19 counties
Annually we:
Promote 2,000 arts and culture events to over 6,000 subscribers via two California Cultural District newsletters
Provide 100 paid opportunities for artists
Offer 700 artist profiles across three artist directories at no cost to artists
Provide a welcoming space for 100+ artists and cultural workers via 30+ Creatives Meetups
Distribute 10,000 copies of MUSE—Nevada County’s definitive guide to arts and culture—across 400 locations
Showcase 470 local businesses in our Creative Business Directory
Serve 150 creatives via 15 sessions and 20+ expert presenters at The Business of Art Symposium
Help launch 20 artist careers via our 8-week Artist Accelerator career development ignitor course
Showcase over 250 artists and culture bearers via Art in Public Spaces and Art at the Airport
Teach 500+ students weekly year-round through Artists in Schools
Mentor our most vulnerable local youth and provide support for college scholarship applications
Lead Poetry Out Loud, exposing 100+ students to poetry at state and national levels
Present Sierra Poetry Festival, serving countywide audiences and our literary community through 20+ distinct events, and drawing audiences in their 1000s from across California and beyond.
This is the infrastructure behind a thriving creative community.
Make your gift today
For three years, State Cultural District funding helped Nevada County turn designation into action.
A $50,000 match is on the table — help us reach our goal!
Questions or major gifts
For major gifts, business sponsorships, or partnership conversations, contact:
Eliza Tudor
Executive Director
office@nevadacountyarts.org
530-264-7031
Checks may be mailed to:
Nevada County Arts & Culture
100 North Pine Street, Suite C
Nevada City, CA 95959
Nevada County Arts & Culture is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible as allowed by law. EIN: 27-0314493.
Bass Dojo instructor, Pancho Tomaselli, brings weekly music lessons to Nevada County’s most vulnerable youth. Photo: Casey Garrotto
Artists in Schools instructor, Lani H Zila with students. We bring over 10,000 art lessons into Nevada County schools annually. Photo: Casey Garrotto