McConnell Foundation Board Approves Grant to Shasta County Arts Council
Arts and culture are paramount to a thriving downtown. In 2017, the Board recognized this commitment through support for a grant to launch the Redding Cultural District. In 2018, The McConnell Foundation commissioned AMS Planning & Research to study the visual and performing arts scene in Redding and the surrounding areas. In the intervening years, arts businesses (think: recording studios, designers etc) have increasingly been setting up shop in Downtown Redding.
As the arts return post-COVID, there is an opportunity to accelerate the Redding Cultural District, and to support the impact of the Shasta County Arts Council more broadly, which serve as support to the many arts and culture practitioners and organizations in our area.
On December 15th, 2020, The McConnell Foundation Board of Directors approved a grant to Shasta County Arts Council, designed to:
- Enhance sustainability by developing the capacity to increase paid membership
- Implement an ongoing strategy to position the arts and the organization as tools for economic development
- Increase assistance to arts businesses, maker spaces, entertainment and cultural groups located in downtown and the Redding Cultural District
This grant also honors the legacy of Carl and Leah McConnell, as Leah gave a personal gift to support the cupola Bell Tower reconstruction of the building which currently houses SCAC, back before The McConnell Foundation was going full-steam.
