cali catalyst

CALI Catalyst provides unrestricted grants of up to $7,500 to California changemakers who are creating tangible impact within the arts and culture sector by shifting power and influence to underrepresented voices.

The California Art Leadership Investments (CALI) Catalyst program launched in 2021 to provide financial support and validation to individuals whose frontline work to upend the status quo in the arts and culture sector is creating tangible change and moving the needle towards greater equity and inclusion. We can look to recent CALI Catalyst grantees and their work to see these ripple effects within the sector. In Santa Ana, Alicia Rojas is working to preserve the history and contributions of overlooked artists through mural restoration, public art advocacy, and local policy engagement. In Los Angeles, Tatiana Vahan launched the Los Angeles Artist Census to better understand working conditions and economic realities faced by artists, using data to advocate for greater support and visibility. And in Vallejo, the Personal Space Gallery team has established an inclusive community art space that features exhibitions and programs reflecting the diversity of the region’s creative voices, with a focus on accessibility and equity for artists from a broad range of backgrounds.

When individuals take bold steps to challenge entrenched systems or practices, they risk sacrificing their jobs, social status, and reputation, and more often than not, their hard labor goes unpaid. CALI Catalyst recognizes that this is precisely the time when the arts and culture sector needs to support these changemakers who are ensuring that historically underrepresented communities, such as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and people with disabilities, and those in rural areas, continue to be represented and included. By speaking out and taking action, such as exposing discriminatory hiring practices or disrupting harmful philanthropic norms, these individuals make the arts and culture field better for everyone. The CALI Catalyst grant program aims to support such leaders financially, recognizing that the fear of financial risk can silence voices and discourage meaningful change.

To help ensure that the momentum for field-wide change continues undeterred, CALI Catalyst will support artists and arts workers who are on the frontlines of making the field more accessible, welcoming, and representative of the communities they serve.