ACMA Awarded CAC Impact Grant
Press Release
Contact: Eric Michelson
Creative Director, Asian Culture and Media Alliance
Email: info@acmasocal.org
Ph: 760-533-4473
Date: December 1, 2023
Asian Culture and Media Alliance Awarded California Arts Council Impact Grant
State funds support ACMA’s flagship programs, ACMA’s pivotal programs, notably the Asian Pacific Voices documentary cable television series and the Asian Voices Radio Podcast.
San Diego, CA – The California Arts Council has announced a grant award of $21,500 to the Asian Culture and Media Alliance (ACMA) as part of its Asian Pacific Voices Television and Radio podcast programs during its 2023 grant cycle.
Launched in 2014, the Asian Voices cable television series stands as a unique platform dedicated to spotlighting the compelling stories of immigrants from the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities who have actively contributed to positive change within their communities. This documentary-style series delves into narratives of inspiration, resilience, and transformation, featuring interviews with artists, creators, social justice advocates, educators, and cultural organizations committed to promoting and preserving AANHPI arts, culture, and heritage.
ACMA’s Founder and Executive Director, Cathlyn Choi, expressed gratitude for the California Arts Council’s support, stating, “The primary goal of Asian Voices is to advance racial equity and advocacy by amplifying the voices within our community through mainstream media. With the backing of the California Arts Council, ACMA is poised to produce Asian Voices TV Season 6 and Season 4 of the Asian Voices Radio weekly podcast in 2024. This support enables us to continue our mission of showcasing California’s diverse AANHPI arts, culture, and heritage.”
ACMA was featured as part of a larger announcement from the California Arts Council, with more than 850 grant awards totaling more than $32.75 million in projected funding projected investments for operational and project support to nonprofit organizations and units of government throughout the state of California.
The nearly $33 million in awards for the 2023 grant cycle sets a new record for the state arts agency’s investment in California’s arts and culture workforce via permanent state and federal allocations for local assistance funds, upwards of $2.8 million more than its last record-setting year in 2020.
“In this last year, the California Arts Council has been working diligently to listen to our field, to be responsive to the moment, and to do our best to make our investments strategic and equitable,” said California Arts Council Executive Director Jonathan Moscone. “I am proud that we are able to disperse more than 850 grants throughout the state so that the arts can continue to have a deep and positive impact on the vast and diverse communities of California.”
Organizations were awarded grants across six different program areas designed to benefit the whole of California’s arts and culture ecosystem, with focused considerations for first-time applicants, small and mid-size arts and organizations, folk and traditional art forms, county local arts agencies and arts service organizations, and opportunities with deep investment for both general operating and project-based support.
Read the full announcement by the California Arts Council for more details and to view a complete listing of all 2023 CAC grantees by county, alphabetically by organization, and by program.
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About Asian Culture and Media Alliance
Established in 2013, ACMA’s mission in serving the Asian American & Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community is to build better equity, inclusion, and diversity through the power of media arts, especially television, film, and new media.Our objective is to create a cultural bridge that promotes commonalities and connects Asian American & Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) with other communities through media and internship programs, educational and cultural programs as well as cultural and professional networking events. To learn more about ACMA and its programs, visit https://www.acmasocal.org
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CAC Media Inquiries Only:
Kimberly Brown
California Arts Council
Public Affairs Specialist
kimberly.brown@arts.ca.gov
The California Arts Council is a state agency with a mission of strengthening arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all. It supports local arts infrastructure and programming statewide through grants, initiatives, and services. The California Arts Council envisions a California where all people flourish with universal access to and participation in the arts.
Members of the California Arts Council include: Consuelo Montoya, Chair; Vicki Estrada, Vice Chair; Gerald Clarke; Caleb Duarte; Ellen Gavin; Leah Goodwin; Alex Israel; Phil Mercado; Roxanne Messina Captor; Nicola Miner; and Olivia Raynor. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.
The California Arts Council is committed to increasing the accessibility of its online content. For language and accessibility assistance, visit https://arts.ca.gov/about/about-us/language-communications-assistance.
