California Arts Council (CAC) recently announced the opening of the application period for the 2025 California Cultural Districts grant program. This initiative will designate up to 10 new state-designated cultural districts, expanding the original cohort established in 2017. The Inland Empire has no state-designated cultural districts, so we encourage county and city planners to apply!

The Cultural Districts program is intended to support communities to harness their unique cultural assets to stimulate local economies, attract tourism, preserve historic sites, and support vibrant, inclusive creative economies. “Districts are selected through a rigorous, equity-centered application process that emphasizes authentic community partnerships, vision clarity, and demonstrated cultural depth.”

Only partnerships are eligible to apply, ones that include, at a minimum, a cultural non-profit or artist collective, a local business/business association or a community development corporation, and a branch of local government. In addition, applicants will need to provide three letters of support from individual community members or artists located in the proposed district beyond the participating partners and a cultural asset inventory completed within the last three years.

Applications are due by August 7, 2025, and the Cultural Districts program offers grants up to $10,000 over a two-year period, official state certification, technical assistance, and access to joint marketing and branding resources. The 2025 cohort designation period will run from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2030, with grant activities taking place from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027.

California Arts Council program staff are offering online drop-in office hours. Audience members are welcome to join and exit as needed. Dates are as follows. Sign up on the CAC website.