Hemet Valley Art Association Receives $24,000 Grant from California Arts Council
CAC Grant Receipt Press Release - 2026
Hemet Valley Art Association (HVAA) received notice from the California Arts Council Tuesday, August 25, that they have been awarded $24,000 as a result of their General Operating Support program grant application submitted in May of this year. The General Operating Support grant is relatively unique in that it funds administrative and overhead costs like mortgage/rent, insurances, and utilities and help stabilize costs associated with the facility, allowing grantees to better plan and fund their projects and programs.
“HVAA is honored to have been awarded this grant by the California Arts Council,” Lynn Throckmorton, president of the Hemet Valley Art Association, said. “Not having to worry about how we’re going to keep the lights on or whether we can afford to keep the thermostat at a comfortable level or how we’re going to pay for the water heater the next time it goes out is a great relief. It means we can focus on offering our membership more support, launching our education and outreach programs more quickly, and prioritizing our mission to make the visual arts an integral part of the Hemet/San Jacinto Valley.”
HVAA is perhaps best known for its Evening of Art, an event held annually to recognize high school youth in the Hemet United School District and the San Jacinto United School District. Art is selected and blind judged, and, at the event, winners are recognized, and monetary awards are given in a special ceremony. The organization also provides high school art students with a professional space where they can exhibit their art (chosen by their teachers) at no cost, giving them the opportunity to add to their CVs that they have exhibited in a brick-and-mortar gallery.
Most recently, HVAA artists were also involved in painting the “Hemet Rises” mural at the corner of Florida and Carmelita in Hemet, providing two of the emerging artists, sitting on the steering committee, and hosting a training session for all the emerging artists chosen for that project.
HVAA has been in existence since the mid-1960s and incorporated some 10 years later. Although closed during the pandemic, the organization managed to hold onto its gallery and art center during the downturn. They currently have nearly 200 members who work in various fine art media, ceramics, photography, and jewelry-making, among other art forms. They hold monthly Demo Saturdays free to the public, formal classes, and periodic workshops, as well as open houses and other special events.
The California Arts Council is a state agency established in 1976 to advance arts, culture, and creative expression across California. The organization works to strengthen local arts infrastructure by providing public grants and support services to all 58 counties in the state. Its overarching mission focuses on using the power of creativity to cultivate a better, more equitable future for all Californians.
