Pasadena Art Alliance Grant

The Pasadena Art Alliance Grant supports contemporary visual arts in Southern California by funding innovative projects and educational programs. Established in 1955, this independent organization prioritizes grants for unconventional institutions and champions diverse artistic expressions. With over $8 million awarded since 1976, the PAA fosters community engagement and understanding of contemporary art. Preference is given to organizations located in the San Gabriel Valley, ensuring a focused impact on local art initiatives.

Mission:
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.
For over sixty years, we have enjoyed educating ourselves while exploring and funding visionary ideas and concepts in contemporary art. Following the purchase of the museum by Norton Simon, we obtained our own 501(c)(3) non-profit status in 1975 and became independent in terms of support and affiliations. This gives us unusual freedom in terms of scope and impact that our organization provides through our grants program.
We give grants and awards 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. We raise funds by holding annual benefits that vary from year to year, but include our time-honored Art Auction and the legendary Treasure Sale. All monies raised go directly to our grants and award programs.
Since 1976, we have awarded over $8,000,000 to support contemporary art in Southern California. We believe our grants and awards to institutions, galleries and museums have been vital in helping our community understand and embrace challenging new work in a variety of media. Los Angeles is now recognized as an international leader in contemporary art.
Grant Making Criteria
All proposals must fall within the purpose of the Pasadena Art Alliance as written in the Mission Statement and must articulate how the requested funds will advance the Mission Statement. The specific need for the requested funds should be made clear. Furthermore, the proposal should state the relationship between the proposed funds and “contemporary visual art.” If the proposed project has more than a purely visual component, please explain how the contemporary visual art component predominates.

Eligibility

Funding is available only to qualified tax–exempt organizations, never to individuals.

Ineligibility

The PAA does not fund the following:

• Capital requestsIndividual artistsStudent exhibitionsExhibitions that raise money by selling art