& programs
PROJECTS
Downtown Public art tours
Upcoming 2024 Season
Saturday - April 6
Saturday - May 4
Saturday - June 1
Saturday - July 6
Saturday - Aug 3
Saturday - Sept 7
Saturday - Oct 5
The Downtown Chico Art Tours are held on the first Saturday of the month, from spring to fall, open to the public, and free of charge. Participants meet at the “Our Hands” sculpture located next to City Hall, 411 Main Street at 10 a.m.
The Art Tours are led by Chico Arts and Culture Foundation volunteers and take about an hour and under a mile of flat terrain. The variety of sculptures, murals, tile work, fountains, and street furniture are discussed with an emphasis on behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the artists and the making of the art works. This is an enjoyable and low-key way to learn about a small selection of the huge variety of art and artists in Chico. Ideally it will inspire further exploration and investigation of the wealth of arts and culture in the region.
Youth MINI-GRANTS
As an organization, we are always on the hunt for ways to support emerging artists. This year we are launching our 2024 Youth Mini-Grants with a secondary goal of matching $1000 from the community. Young artists aged 14 – 19 may apply for our Mini Grant Program to receive awards up to $100. The application opens on May 1st and must be submitted by May 15th at midnight. Applicants must reside in Chico, be able to describe themselves, their work, and how they would use the grant in 100 - 300 words and provide work samples. Link will be on the Home page May 1st.
All artistic disciplines may apply regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability or any other characteristic.
Mini-Grant Fund Match
If you would like to make a contribution toward the Mini Grant Fund, please consider a donation through this fundraiser. All donations large and small will help actualize the artistic pursuit of a young artist in Chico.
Click Here to Help Match our Fund
Mini-Grant Dates
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May 1, 2024 - Application Opens
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May 15, 2024 - Application Deadline
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May 31, 2024 - Grant Awards Presented at the Friday Night Concert Downtown
2023 Mini-Grant Program Results:
In 2023 we launched the program to offer five Mini Grants of $100 each to selected youth in our community to support their creative pursuits. We held the 10-day application process in April in which applicants included a 100-300 word essay describing themselves and how they would use the grant award. The board reviewed applicants at the end of April and awarded the winners and honorable mentions in early May. We are thrilled to support the creative visions of our grant winners:
Congratulations to Our Grant Winners:
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Emma Kathleen Garrahy
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Brett McGuire
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Megan Moural
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Calvin Thao
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John Rollo
We would also like to recognize our Honorable Mentions:
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Gracie Gomes
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Preston Breeze
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Kathleen Breeze
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Rokee Ajaw Pedro-Meza
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Silas Steele DeGeorge
Thank you to our community for getting the word out and to all our applicants for their wonderful creative projects!
Art mentor Program
Through a regional grant we developed a successful program pairing at-risk area youth with local artists in various disciplines including drum making, animation, and multi-media visual art.
The 2022 program titled Emerging Artists paired 8 mentors with youth from the Chico Boys and Girls Club focusing on music, dance, improvisation games, macrame, photography, mosaic, paper crafting, clay etc. Culminating projects will be displayed at an art reception at the Boys and Girls Club and Emerging Artists will have the opportunity to participate in the National Fine Art Exhibit through the National Boys and Girls Club.
In 2023 we are continued this outstanding program with new mentors and projects exhibiting outstanding success!
Downtown Thursday Night Markets
In June we plan to host our very own CACF Market booth, promoting our Art Tours, projects and individual artists.
Stay Tuned!