It’s a cross-language pun on the name of the founder, Jane Hsu. Jane’s Chinese name is Zhen, and the “cool” is a reference to a classic Chinese poem describing a cool breeze blowing through the trees. It’s a bit of a pun if you read classical Chinese, but the casual Chinese reader may not know how to pronounce Jane’s name. The wind is a metaphor for a catalyst for change, which is what we hope to be in our community.

We’re a rural arts funding nonprofit! We offer funding to artists, art organizations, and creative endeavors to support the development of a sustainable creative economy in the Eastern Sierra. Beyond art grants, we also offer fiscal sponsorships, professional development training, mentorship and office hours, as well as an [online artist directory] and other [free resources] on our website.

Most of our funding opportunities are dedicated to supporting artists rooted in our local region, the Eastern Sierra. However, there may be opportunities for cross-cultural exchange. Because geographic eligibility can vary by grant, please check individual program guidelines or reach out to us directly if you have questions about your project.

We have opportunities for art administrators, arts or cultural organizations, artists, creators, makers, culture bearers, musicians, performers, chefs, etc. We aim to be inclusive, but we are also focused on supporting creativity and culture. Even if your project, practice, or organization isn’t traditionally considered “art”, make a good argument for why it can support a sustainable rural creative economy on the Eastside.

There are many ways to connect with Zhencool and support local artists: you can show up for our community by attending partner/grantee events, directly supporting our artists, donating, accessing the [resources] on our website, or making use of the free resources on our website.

At the moment our funding is by invitation only, but starting in 2027 we’ll have grants open for public application. Check back in the New Year, or sign up for our newsletter for an email notification when our cycle opens. 

Take a look [here] to see a list of our current artists and organizations, as well as those we’ve worked with in the past.

We are aiming to build capacity and support sustainable creative economic development in our community, instead of just pumping out works of art. Accordingly, a lot of our opportunities have a heavy focus on professional development and peer-group models that we can facilitate initially but step back from to allow communities to manage themselves. We’re inspired by the work of the Kataly Foundation and other non-traditional philanthropic organizations, and if you have any ideas on how we might do better, please [reach out].