Art Explorers receives grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

FORT BRAGG, CA., 3/5/25 — Art Explorers, a nonprofit organization in its 25th year dedicated to supporting adult artists with disabilities, is the recent recipient of a Challenge America grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. If actually disbursed, the money would support the development of a project called Film School, which aims to introduce its artists to the world of filmmaking. However, due to recent reviews of federal funding, grant support for Film School has become uncertain.

Founded in 1999 by Joan Burleigh and Kristin Otwell, Art Explorers began as a small Saturday morning workshop around a kitchen table. Over the years, it has expanded significantly, now offering creative opportunities to 40 artists in a downtown Fort Bragg studio on Franklin Street. The nonprofit provides access to painting, drawing, ceramics, printmaking, weaving, and textile arts, fostering an inclusive and dynamic creative environment that enriches not only the lives of the artists, but the greater Fort Bragg community.