Create Center for the Arts uses Coachella Valley Spotlight grant to impact local artists

Local non-profit Create Center for the Arts has expanded its impact thanks to the $ 25,000 Coachella Valley Spotlight Grant. The Center has been able to give more locals a chance to make their creative vision a reality.

“The really cool thing is it allows for people to do more experimentation-- because a lot of these things are yet to be discovered," said Center CEO and founder Debra Ann Mumm.

She said the grant helped add more than 100 ft of exhibition space with gallery lighting.

“It's helping the people that come here and having opportunities to show their work," said Ann Mumm. "That's a big deal. It's a really difficult scene for emerging artists.”

The grant has also gone towards buying new equipment like a dark room sink, a film editing bay, and laptops for 3D printing. Digital design studio specialist Brady Williamson teaches the 3D printing class.

“Our most recent grant has allowed us to standardize on equipment and really opened the doors to larger classes and allowed us to reach a lot more people and at a more reasonable price point," said Williamson. "That just wouldn't have been possible a year ago."

The organization has a mission to empower and celebrate local artists. Giving them a chance to network and share their creations.

“This is a really unique asset in the valley, and much of the tools and equipment that we have here are not available anywhere else open to the public, so we can really open people's eyes to things that they might have never seen or heard about even," said Ann Mumm. "[The grant] just made us better overall. I can say that, you know, access to tools and equipment is really one of the most valuable things that we can provide in our community."

Ultimately giving a home for creatives to thrive. The organization hopes to add more equipment to expand into robotics and digital design.

“We're gonna grow until we can't grow here anymore," said Ann Mumm.

Any local non-profit can apply for the Coachella Valley Spotlight grant. Click HERE for the application. Applications are open until noon on august 28th.