Three years ago, the San Diego Foundation and its former director of arts and culture, Felicia Shaw, came up with the novel idea of funding artists directly. The result was the Creative Catalyst program, which has had an effect well beyond the approximately $485,000 it provided artists in 2012 and in 2014. The 25 artists — 15 the first year and 10 the second — who partnered with a sponsoring nonprofit cultural institution ranged from pipa player Wu Man to artist Margaret Noble, from puppeteer Iain Gunn to the pop musician Joel P. West, and almost without exception, they continue to be a vital force in the community. “Artists are obviously a really important engine for the local economy,” said Emily Young, the foundation’s vice president for community impact. “Investing in these artists and their development really helps to fuel San Diego’s creative economy for the future.”