Grants

Since 1976, we have given grants on an annual basis to projects that meet our rigorous process and standards. Funds are granted to established as well as unconventional institutions, and we pride ourselves on championing the difficult and nontraditional. All grants must support our mission which reads:

The purpose of the Pasadena Art Alliance is to foster appreciation for contemporary visual arts in Southern California by supporting artists, exhibitions, educational programs and art-oriented, non-profit institutions.

Application deadline for the grants cycle is September 15 of each year and site visits are conducted in the Fall for those institutions meeting our criteria. Grant applicants will be informed of the final decision concerning their application no later than March 1.  The CURRENT GRANTS awarded are listed here. For more information about submitting a proposal, see the Grant Making Criteria and Guidelines and Requirements on the Grants page.

Awards

Following the devastating wildfires that swept through our community in January 2025, the Pasadena Art Alliance dedicated funds from its most recent fundraiser for two unique organizations that were offering support to our local artists affected by the fires in profound ways:

Armory Center for the Arts

In response to the Eaton Fire, the Armory launched a Fire Relief Fund for its seven staff and teaching artists who lost homes, opened a creativity and community care artmaking drop-in space, launched a Studio financial assistance program for families that lost their homes, and adapted its Children Investigate the Environment schools program which serves all Pasadena Unified School District 4th graders to focus on the resiliency of both California native plants and our local community.

In addition, the Armory will host an exhibition Here Lay A Home

As the world has moved on to other issues, it is reassuring to know that our community recognizes both the valuable impact the arts has on communities and that the road to recovery will be long term.  Leslie Ito, Executive Director

Side Street Projects

Side Street Projects is embedded in the community of northwest Pasadena and west Altadena that was disproportionately impacted by the Eaton Fire. One of their primary goals immediately post fire was to remain consistent. They managed to maintain their full commitment to the local youth. They were back in schools the week that schools re-opened. They remain in the heart of Altadena and hope to make their monthly Saturday Programming weekly and include skill shares that engage cross sector collaborations and combine tangible skills like soil remediation with creative visioning as folks work through rebuilding. 

The only way we artists know how to heal is to create together. Our work is what keeps us moving through this crisis. Our artists are community organizers serving as a connective tissue….we are incredibly grateful for the unexpected grant from the Pasadena Art Alliance that will allow us to continue to show up with and for our community as we move through these incredibly turbulent times.  Emily Hopkins, Executive Director