City of Santa Barbara awards $245,000 to local organizations as part of Cultural Arts Grant Program

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - For 23 years, momentum at the Brazilian Cultural Arts Center in Santa Barbara keeps climbing.

"We have the ability to bring multiple people with different backgrounds," said director Marco Silva of the Brazilian Cultural Arts Center

Using art music and dance, this arts center is focused on creating social integration.

The nonprofit offers arts education with the goal help others move beyond physical mental and emotional challenges. 

“I’m excited because this year we’re growing even bigger and better expanding our events and programs at the studio. We’ve opened up by our studio space to arrange a different cultures right now we have Indian folk dance. We have Samba. We have salsa," said director Zoe Carlson of the Brazilian Cultural Arts Center.

As a grant recipient, the arts center believes it will help them further bring locals together to learn and grow through the art of dance at all age levels. 

“Personally, I feel … for the community specially because with fun  you can bring more people … and like this year what I saw was fascinating we reached people across the board … we had Indian performance … we had folklorico performance," said Silva.

With the grant, the art center hopes to create the biggest cultural Brazilian Festival in the country

"Even with the grant funding, we get it. It takes a large effort of volunteers in our community and local business donors," said Silva. "We work really hard to try to get donors to get small businesses involved … it makes things easier for us."

The City of Santa Barbara awarded over $245,000 to 27 local arts organizations.