Wine Country Times

In recent years, Napa County has prioritized arts and culture in the community, going so far as to even establish the Napa County Arts & Culture Advisory Committee. 

Each year, this committee reviews and approves grants to various projects and organizations that seek to enhance the culture and arts in the county. Now, the 2021-2022 grant guidelines are available, giving potential applicants the information that they need to file an application and gain access to funding that could help their organization. 

The stated mission of the Napa County Arts & Culture Advisory Committee is as follows:

"The primary purpose of the Napa County Arts & Culture Advisory Committee (NCACAC) is to provide needed support to help strengthen the local arts and culture community for the economic and social benefit of Napa County’s residents and businesses and provide a more enriching experience for Napa’s visitors."

The priorities include investing in sustainability, projects that will bring visitors to Napa County, projects that show viability and making sure that the projects that are funded that will deliver value to a wide range of people within the community. 

One of the great things about the committee is that most of the funds used for the grant will be generated off of tourism dollars to be allocated to projects that will generate an even higher return on investment for the county. The Funding & Acknowledgement section of the grant guidelines states:

"All grant monies derive from the County’s Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) that is mostly tourism generated. The Napa County Board of Supervisors designates a percentage of the TOT for arts and culture. However, Napa County is projecting a significant loss in TOT due to the pandemic and the recent Hennessey and Glass fires, which have led to a reduction in tourism. Longer-term impacts on tourism are also possible."

The application deadline is Friday, March 12.