Arts Connection, The Arts Council of San Bernardino County, in partnership with the City of Ontario’s Museum, Arts & Culture Department, is launching the city’s first-ever Artist Microgrant Pilot Program, opening Monday.
The Artist Microgrant Program will provide seven to 12 artists with grants ranging from $500 to $1,500, supporting projects that have a social art component and/or public activation within the City of Ontario. These activities may include workshops, pop-up installations, performances, storytelling events, live painting, or other creative engagements designed to connect residents, elevate local culture, and strengthen community pride.
The pilot program is open to artists of any discipline from across San Bernardino County whose proposed projects enrich the City of Ontario by uplifting its stories, honoring its history, and contributing to a creative future. Selected projects should deepen the cultural life of Ontario’s neighborhoods, invite meaningful public engagement, and help promote the city as a place where creativity, community, and belonging thrive.
“Through this pilot program, we’re celebrating the role artists play in building connection, cultivating pride, and imagining Ontario’s creative future,” said Marissa Kucheck, director of Museum, Arts & Culture. “It brings art beyond the walls of the Ontario Museum of History & Art and into the places where our community lives and gathers. The Artist Microgrant Pilot Program allows us to directly support Ontario-based artists and the local creatives who are already shaping the cultural fabric of our city. This project marks an investment in uplifting neighborhood stories and activating public spaces.”
Arts Connection will oversee program design, community outreach, application review, artist support, project implementation, and documentation, as outlined in the contract with the city.
Full application details, eligibility guidelines, and information session dates are available on the Arts Connection website at artsconnectionnetwork.org/ontario-microgrant.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early and propose projects that uplift Ontario’s cultural identity, engage the community, or contribute to a vibrant public arts ecosystem. The deadline to apply is Jan, 31, 2026.
