The Rydell Visual Arts Fellowship Program
About the Rydells
Roy and Frances Rydell arrived in Santa Cruz in 1947 from Hollywood, California, drawn by its rural beauty. Roy, an architect and artist, and Frances, an animal lover bought the old Oceanview School in Bonny Doon, which they restored, expanded, and filled with their varied creative interests. They became active in the community, supporting organizations such as the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History where Roy was a key fundraiser in the mid-1980s. The Rydells were also early advocates of the Community Foundation and in 1985, started our first donor advised fund. Understanding the importance of a permanent resource for visual artists, they established the Roy and Frances Visual Arts Fund through which they facilitated grants to a variety of local arts organizations.
Friends of the Rydells always comment on their personal style and attention to detail. Nowhere is this more evident than in their bequest of their entire estate to the Community Foundation for the Rydell Visual Arts Fund. Predeceased by Frances (1998), Roy passed away in 2000 leaving an indelible impression on the people who knew them, a charitable gift to the Foundation, and an enduring benefit to the arts and artists of our community.
About the Fellowship Program
Roy and Frances Rydell established the Roy and Frances Rydell Visual Arts Fund in 1985 to promote local visual artists and arts organizations. Following their passing, their estate was bequeathed to the Foundation, with the proceeds of the sale helping to grow the fund to its current level of over $1.8 million. The Rydell Visual Arts Fellowship program was developed by the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County in collaboration with the local arts community to honor the wishes and intent of the Rydells in establishing the fund. Now, in its 18th year, the fellowship program, including the latest group of fellows, has awarded $760,000 directly to artists.
The fellowships help individual visual artists pursue their creative work and are made solely on the merits of their artistry and not tied to the completion of any specific projects. Nominating organizations are asked to consider the broad disciplines the Rydells thought of as part of the visual arts: painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, installation, mixed media, stage set design, photography, costume design, textiles, glass, film and video. Judges are comprised of a panel of three internationally-recognized arts professionals.
The 2024-2025 Rydell Fellows have been selected, and in late January 2024, they and the 2022-2023 Fellows will be featured in the Rydell Visual Arts Fellowship Exhibition at Museum of Art & History in downtown Santa Cruz.
Rydell Visual Arts Fellows
To view and download a Rydell Visual Arts Fellowship program catalog from past years, click on the links below.
2008-2009 Rydell Catalog
