California-based community development financial institution Community Vision Capital & Consulting has announced real estate acquisition grants totaling $3 million in support of five community-based performing arts groups in the Bay Area.

Funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, grants include support for the East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative and House/Full of Blackwomen in West Oakland, which will receive $600,000 to activate the Esther's Orbit Room Cultural Revival Project, a historically Black-owned space closed for many years, and transform three parcels into a new BIPOC-centered hub of culture and art; Oakstop, LLC and Black Music Entrepreneurship Incubator in West Oakland, which were awarded $707,200 to purchase a property, equip it with recording and performance studios, and offer wraparound business support services and shared space rentals; Black Cultural Zone Community Development Corporation in East Oakland, which will receive $553,000 to develop a ground-up community arts hub on a lot known as Liberation Park; Pajaro Valley Arts in Watsonville, which was awarded $540,000 to purchase a building that will open as a new visual and performing arts hub for the Pajaro Valley in Santa Cruz County; and Gamelan Sekar Jaya in Berkeley, which will receive $599,800 to acquire the organization's currently leased space and permanently stabilize the legacy of its U.S.-Bali musical exchange.

“Arts facilities are vital to maintaining the presence and fostering self-determination of cultural and artistic communities,” said Hewlett Foundation performing arts director Emiko Ono. “These grants help ensure spaces are owned and activated by local artists, cultural leaders, and community-based organizations, which is part of what makes neighborhoods and the Bay Area unique and vibrant. These projects ensure the arts and artists have a place to call home in the Bay Area — they’re a source of stability and vitality now and for future generations.”

(Photo credit: House/Full of Blackwomen / Robbie Sweeny, used with permission)