The Ventura County Community Foundation is accepting proposals for grants to highlight arts produced in Ventura County with an emphasis on art programming produced by or for youth, seniors and traditionally underrepresented groups.

A three-year initiative, ArtsLIVE, aims to increase support for the arts in Ventura County as part of the Irvine Foundation’s Communities Advancing the Arts Initiative.

The 2010 grants will focus exclusively on the performing arts and traditional and folk arts. A total of $90,000 in funding is available. Requests in any amount, up to a maximum of $15,000, will be considered. Applicants must be a designated nonprofit organization, have a nonprofit fiscal sponsor or be a public agency. 

Nonprofits interested in submitting a proposal are required to attend one of the two informational meetings at 3:30 to 5 p.m. Mon., Dec. 14, or 9 to 10:30 a.m. Thurs., Jan. 14, both in the community room of the foundation, 1317 Del Norte Road, Ste. 150, Camarillo.

To attend a mandatory informational session, call LaToya Ford at (805) 988-0196, ext. 126, or e-mail lford@vccf.org.

The deadline for 2010 proposals is 1 p.m. Fri., Feb. 5, 2010. For application eligibility and to download the request for proposals, visit the website www.vccf.org/artslive.html.

For information on the program of grants to individual artists, call the Ventura County Arts Council office at (805) 658-2213 or visit info@venturacountyartscouncil.org.

For more information on the 2009 grants program, go to www.artsliveinVC.org.