Twenty-nine Pasadena arts projects will share $195,270 in city grants for fiscal year 2026-2027, with two of those projects built specifically around healing from the Eaton Fire.
The Arts and Culture Commission approved the awards at its Wednesday, July 8 meeting, distributing funds to 25 local organizations and four individual artists. Individual grants range from $2,000 to $8,900, according to the commission's agenda and city records.
Two grants respond directly to the January 2025 fire, which destroyed more than 9,000 structures and killed 19 people across Altadena and eastern Pasadena, according to the Pasadena Community Foundation.
The "Fire Stories Project," created by In Other People's Shoes Productions, is a theatrical piece drawn from verbatim interviews with young people ages 8 to 18 about their experiences during the blaze. Professional actors perform the words; the young people remain anonymous. The project debuted staged readings in January 2026, near the fire's one-year anniversary.
"We wanted to give young people the opportunity to have their voices heard, and to share their experiences of a very defining event in our community," founder Mireya Hepner said at the time.
The second fire-related grant funds "Watershed," by artist Kate Lain. The project will install a large-scale textile "river" at Arlington Gardens, shaped by community environmental workshops.
Beyond fire recovery, the grants touch theater, music, dance, poetry, visual art and school programs. Grantees include staged productions at A Noise Within and the Pasadena Playhouse, plus arts-education work reaching Pasadena Unified School District students. The Pasadena Conservatory of Music's "Young Musicians" program alone serves 550 district students over 32 weeks, according to the city's Cultural Affairs Division. Armory Center for the Arts received funding for fifth-grade field trips. Some funded work stretches into 2027, including a Floricanto dance concert tied to Cinco de Mayo scheduled for May 2027.
Grants are awarded in four categories: Arts and Culture, Arts Education, Festivals and Parades, and Individual Artist Projects. A selection panel reviews applications. Applicants this cycle were required to submit a Cultural Equity and Inclusion statement aligned with the Los Angeles County Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative, according to the city.
The commission is chaired by Gabriel Lizardo, representing District 2. The full list of funded projects is posted at cityofpasadena.net/arts. The Cultural Affairs Division, managed by Rochelle Branch, can be reached at (626) 744-7062.
Upcoming Pasadena arts events
- Arroyo Repertory Theatre's Eaton Fire Youth Theatre Project: Free community performances Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1, 2026, at the Ahiah Center for Spiritual Living in Pasadena.
- ArtNight Pasadena: Friday, October 9, 2026, 6 to 10 p.m. Free shuttles to venues citywide.
