Cultural District
Resilience Fund
Help us raise $50,000 in six weeks to unlock a $50,000 match!
State funding for Nevada County’s two California Cultural Districts ended on June 30, creating a $400,000 gap in the work that supports artists, culture bearers, creative businesses, youth programs, public art, cultural tourism, and local arts infrastructure.
A generous local donor has pledged a $50,000 matching gift.
Now we need our community to help us meet the match by August 19, 2026.
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.
Why this matters now
Nevada County Arts & Culture has spent the past several years building the systems that help our creative community thrive: grants, artist services, public programs, directories, communications, partnerships, youth pathways, cultural tourism tools, and Culture Forward 2026–2032, Nevada County’s first countywide Arts & Culture Action Plan.
Culture Forward gives us the roadmap. The Cultural Districts Resilience Fund helps keep the work moving.
This campaign is not a replacement for State investment. We will continue to advocate for renewed public funding for California Cultural Districts. But local support is needed now to protect the services, partnerships, and public-facing tools that our artists, creative businesses, cultural organizations, and communities rely on.
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. That funding has now ended.
A $50,000 match is on the table — and we have six weeks to meet it.
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