Special Projects Grants
A listing of Special Projects Grants made by the Student Art Fund from 2007 through 2020 is below. For information on how to apply for a Special Projects Grant, please visit our grants page.
2022-2023 School Year Grants
Supplies and Equipment:
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Dos Pueblos High School students visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Two new wide format ink jet printers for the Digital Arts Program at San Marcos High School. The printers will be used by approximately 180 students.
- An extruder and a slab roller for Carpinteria High School ceramics classes.
- Calendar printing for 85 San Marcos High School students to create calendars of their twelve most successful photos.
Alta Vista/Santa Barbara Middle College students visiting Hearst Castle
Transportation:
- Transportation for Dos Pueblos High School students to visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art , the Craft Contemporary museum, and the Bergamot Station Arts Center
- Transportation for Alta Vista/Santa Barbara Middle College students to visit Hearst Castle
2019-2020 School Year Grants
Student photo created using the new Mac computers with Photoshop for kaleidoscope and panorama projects.
Supplies and Equipment:
- Consumable supplies for every Junior and Senior High School art class in Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria public schools.
- Cameras, computers, and other equipment for digital photography classes.
- Printmaking supplies for art classrooms.
- Home art kits during quarantine.
Transportation:
Buses for field trips to the Museum of Contemporary Art and The Getty Museums in Los Angeles.
Art Show:
Fionna Pennington, “Splash,” Oils, San Marcos High School, teacher Michelle Rainville
The Student Art Fund 2020 Online Art Show, featuring artwork from all the Middle and High Schools. This show was almost the only end-of-year exhibit replacing the usual on-site exhibits at most schools. It included artwork in five categories: printmaking, painting, drawing, photography and digital art, and sculpture and 3-D artwork. Art Teachers were especially challenged with creating lessons during the months of “Zoom Teaching.” They told us that the motivation of an online exhibit with prizes was very helpful for keeping students engaged and challenged.
2018-2019 School Year Grants
Supplies and Equipment: A junior high school teacher requested a new laptop computer for editing class-produced school newsreels and short videos.
Two Nikon cameras for a high school digital photography program.
Students and their completed skateboards
Skate decks for students to decorate skateboards and raffle them at the After Prom Night party.
Materials for making drypoint engravings. The art work was entered in the Channelkeeper Art Contest and the Grandparent Portrait Show.
Transportation: Bus transportation for a high school class to visit the Getty Villa in Los Angeles. Following a docent led visit, the students created versions of one of the vessel types they learned about in their study of ancient Greek pottery.
Students touring the LA County Museum of Art
Bus transportation to Los Angeles for a continuation school art class to visit the Broad Museum and the LA Museum of Modern Art.
A high school teacher requested funding for transportation and admission to the Santa Barbara Zoo for her Fine Art Photography Class students. They photographed and journal/sketched their experience. The photographs and stories were displayed at the school, Zoo and Goleta library campuses.
Funding for a bus trip and entrance to the Botanic Garden, and for art supplies for a plein air drawing and painting project. The students worked with a local plein air artist on several occasions to create art work with attention to environmental conservation.
Student plein air painting of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
Mosaics: Funding for students to create a large mosaic of the school’s firebird mascot. The students worked with a professional mosaic artist to create this permanent mural for their school.
Jewelry Making: Tools and materials for a lost wax sculpting technique for students to create rings made of sterling silver or silver nickel.
Publication: Funding for Local Color, a magazine of student art work and poetry produced by a high school class.
2017-2018 School Year Grants
Supplies: Colored duct tape for San Marcos students to create wall art based on the style of works by Aakash Nihalani.
Students painting a mural at Dos Pueblos High School
Funding for 15 table top easels for San Marcos High School
Painting supplies to create a 7 x 60 foot mural at Dos Pueblos High School
Transportation: Bus trip to Los Angeles for La Cuesta students to visit the Broad Museum and the Museum of Modern Art.
Bus trip to the Getty Villa in Malibu for Ceramics students at Dos Pueblos High School to view ancient Greek vessels. Students will work in groups to build and decorate (sgraffito) a large Greek vessel.
Visit to the MOXI Musuem by Carpinteria High School students prior to their Makerspace unit.
Ceramics from the new kiln
Bus trip for Santa Barbara High School students to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) to tour the campus and learn about all the different art majors offered.
Ceramics: A multi-sided, top-loading Scutt Kiln and ventilation system for San Marcos High School.
Publication: Funds to publish the ninth issue of “Local Color”, a magazine of artwork and literature by students of Dos Pueblos High School.
2016-2017 School Year Grants
A mill for creating sculpture
Supplies: Funded the purchase of printing supplies.
Funded a special purchase of 600 handmade papers to create books with Japanese style binding.
Provided funding for a skateboard and card drawing and printing project.
Sculpture: Funded the purchase of a mill for creating sculpture.
Ceramics: Provided clay to create over 150 bowls for the Empty Bowls Project that benefits the Food Bank.
Publication: Provided funding to publish Local Color, a student-produced book of student-created art and poetry.
Transportation: Provided transportation for students to the Broad Museum and MOCA in Los Angeles.
2015-2016 School Year Grants
A special effects mask project
Supplies: Provided mat boards for the presentation of student art in the Channel Keepers Art Show.
Furnished classroom art materials for a teaching unit about Egypt.
Purchased frames and mat boards for use when entering student photographs in area art exhibits.
Funded supplies for a special effects mask project.
Purchased a power jigsaw.
Purchased clay, glazes and tools for the making of over 150 bowls to be given to the Santa Barbara Food Bank for their annual fundraiser Empty Bowls.
Photography: Supplied three digital cameras and equipment for a photography class.
Transportation: Provided bus transportation to the Getty for high school students.
Silk screen printing materials
Provided bus transportation to the Bay Area to view exhibits featuring the combination of art and technology in preparation for the Mechatronics Installation Project.
Printmaking: Purchased a printing press for junior high school classroom.
Supplied silkscreen printing materials for a junior high school.
Painting: Purchased studio easels.
Publication: Provided funding to publish, Local Color, a nationally acclaimed art and literature magazine.
2014-2015 School Year Grants
Linear perspective wall art installations
Supplies: Provided supplies for a high school drawing class to create linear perspective wall art installations.
Inkjet Printer: Furnished large bed printer to a junior high for use with a variety of art programs allowing digitally inclined students to further their knowledge of digital art and allowing those with less experience to be introduced to the possibilities.
Transportation: Provided bus transportation for ceramics classes to go to the Getty Villa in Malibu to research Greek pottery styles and ancient Greek daily life. Provided bus transportation for International Baccalaureate (art) classes to visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Bergamot Station as part of an art criticism activity.
Safety materials: Provided pairs of replacement Kevlar gloves and kiln shelves for ceramics classes.
Painting: Donated enough acrylic paint, canvas, brushes and gesso for an Advancement Placement Studio Art class curriculum.
Printmaking: Supplied printing inks, linoleum, brayers and safety bench hooks to make possible class block-printing units.
2013-2014 School Year Grants
Art Show/Maker Fair
Tuition: Sponsored professional development for a teacher and subsequent development of craft project unit.
Zentangle: Provided supplies for this meditative drawing and composition activity for a junior high.
Marbling: Sponsored artist JoNeal Boic for a high school marbling workshop.
Art Show/Maker Fair: Sponsored an event at a high school to showcase students’ art and ingenuity and interactive stations where the parents and community could participate in hands on art activities.
Basic Art Supplies: Furnished art supplies to establish art activities for students of an alternative high school.
Transportation: Provided buses for three sculpture classes and ten chaperons to visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to see contemporary sculpture shows.
Provided buses for students to visit the Astronomy Show at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Prior to the visit, the students heard Mr. John Hoot from the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab.
Supplies: Furnished art supplies for three junior high students to study in after school art workshops.
Frames: Purchased frames for gallery prints at Santa Barbara Junior High School.
Publication Expenses: Provided funding for the publication of, “Local Colors”.
Scanner: Provided a larger bed scanner so students in a junior high can scan their drawings then experiment with various color plans.
2012-2013 School Year Grants
Photographic Technique: Paid for instructional tutorials on DVD developed by Brooks Photography professors for art classes in high schools.
Jewelry Technique: Purchased “precious metal clay”, and accompanying tools, to give students at one high school the opportunity to work in silver or bronze.
Bud Bottoms
Public Sculpture Field Trip: Furnished a bus for ceramics students enabling them to visit Santa Barbara public art such as that by Alfaro Siqueiros, Herbert Bayer, Marge Dunlap, Bud Bottoms and others. Mr. Bottoms spoke to the group.
Scarves and Supplies: Purchased silk scarves and fabric dyes so junior high students could study Japanese textiles, especially Shibori dying technique, and create great presents.
Silk and Supplies: Furnished materials for a painting class to do Tibetan-styled wishing flags.
Paint and Graphic Supplies: Furnished the supplies, in cooperation with Powell Skateboard Company, for a design class to finish 36 skateboard decks with their individual, original designs.
Landscape Drawing: Paid tuition for a drawing instructor to attend landscape drawing and painting class and develop ideas for use with students.
Sculpture Field Trip: Paid for busses for three Sculpture classes to visit the Museum of Modern Art and the Geffen Gallery in Los Angeles and substitute teachers for the teachers chaperoning the trip.
Leather and Jewelry: Sponsored speaker Eduardo Lara, third generation leather craftsman, jewelry and leather for a bracelet project.
Tuition: Sponsored professional development for a teacher and subsequent creation of a high school landscape painting unit.
Framing and Matting Supplies: For presentation of artwork furnished to a high school
Kiln: Replacement of a worn-out kiln with a 50 – 50 matching grant to Carpinteria High School.
2011-2012 School Year Grants
Leather and Jewelry: Furnished equipment making possible the addition of leather and jewelry curricula at one junior high school.
Dress form for clothing design
Mural Project: Furnished canvas and supplies for a large, indoor mural at a high school.
Clothing Design: Purchased dress forms to facilitate student clothing design projects.
Fashion Photography: Paid for substitute teachers to cover classes so teachers could attend the Debut 2012 Runway show and tour at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, helping develop a unit on fashion photography for high school classes.
Photography Show Sponsorship: Sponsored “A Day in the Life of Carpinteria High School” in downtown Carpinteria.
2010-2011 School Year Grants
Photography Field Trip: Underwrote the bus transportation for a group of junior high students to travel to Hearst Castle to study and photograph the historic property
Design Competition Participation Support: Funded the substitute teachers to cover classes in a high school so that art teachers could chaperon their art students, who won the Western Regional of the Vans National Design Competition, to the finals in New York City.
Garden Project: Purchased plants that were installed outside art classrooms by the Permaculture Club. These will form a drawing and painting location as well as add beauty to the high school campus.
2009-2010 School Year Grants
Classroom Art Reference Library: Donated more than a hundred cloth-bound art books to form the basis of a classroom art reference library for students, allowing them to study artists from a variety of cultures, countries and time periods.
Shakespearean Puppet Theater: Sponsored construction of a puppet theater for performing Shakespearean plays, bringing together art and literature students.
World Wide Cross-Cultural Photography Project: Helped with an after school project in which small cameras were sent to children in Ghana, Bhutan, Costa Rica, Thailand, Israel, Ethiopia, Rwanda and other countries. The project is designed to see the world through the eyes of other cultures, culminating in an exhibition of the work.
Grants Awarded in Multiple Years
Empty Bowls ceramic project
Empty Bowls Project – Ceramics (2011 – 2017): Contributed the materials for ceramics students to throw 150 bowls that were subsequently donated to the Empty Bowls Project. These bowls were then sold, with proceeds benefiting the Food Bank of Santa Barbara. Students learned about philanthropy and the power they have to affect positive change in their community and around the world.
Publication – Art and Literary Magazine (2011 – 2013): Underwrote the national award winning student art and literature magazine, Local Color. In this after school activity, students solicit entries, choose the work for publication, edit, design and layout the publication for printing.
Excited students wait to show their portfolios at Otis School of Art
Portfolio Day Participation (2007 – 2010): Sponsored more than a hundred local advanced art students and their art teachers over the years to attend National Portfolio Day. At this unique one-day event students have their portfolios evaluated by college-level art teachers. The students are given one-on-one evaluations of their portfolio, suggestions for direction and improvement, meet with post high school art school admissions counselors, and have an opportunity to view the artwork of their Southern Californian peers.
Animation Project (2009, 2010): In cooperation with other grant sources, helped fund equipment in the Stop Motion Animation project for students at a local high school.