State Arts Commission Awards $2.65 Million in Grants
July 25, 2018
State Arts Commission Invests $2.65 Million in Arts & Culture Programs Across Arizona
State’s total investment in nonprofit arts sector up $500,000 over last year
Approved in May as part of the State of Arizona’s $10.4 billion fiscal year 2019 budget, an additional $2 million investment in arts and culture is already making its way to communities across Arizona.
Derived from interest accrued on Arizona’s Rainy-Day Fund, the State’s $2 million allocation represents a 33% increase over funding assigned to the Arizona Commission on the Arts in the previous fiscal year.
“With their action in the FY2019 state budget, Governor Ducey and state legislative leaders made a strong statement about the value of arts and culture in Arizona,” said Jaime Dempsey, Executive Director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts. “Their message is clear: Arizona’s arts sector has a significant role to play in unleashing our state’s boundless potential, with its wealth of positive outcomes on community and economic resilience, lifelong learning, and individual ingenuity. Arizona creativity is a wise and productive investment.”
At their quarterly meeting in June 2018, the Governor-appointed board of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, a state agency that also administers funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, approved $2.65 million in grants to Arizona nonprofit arts organizations, festivals, schools, and community-based programs throughout the state. This action represents the allocation of 80% of the Arts Commission’s annual grant budget, with several other grant programs running throughout the year.
Grants Awarded
Grants were awarded via three distinct programs:
Festival Grants support organizations in their efforts to provide quality arts and cultural programming through community festival activities. Forty-three Festival Grants were awarded, totaling $114,000—an increase of 28% over Festival Grant funding awarded last year.
Strengthening Schools Through Arts Partnerships Grants support substantive school/community partnerships that strengthen teaching and learning in arts education and/or arts integration in Arizona Title I schools. Seven Strengthening Schools Through Arts Partnerships grants were awarded, totaling $127,041—increasing the investment in this program by over 300% from last year.
Community Investment Grants provide operating support to nonprofit arts organizations, local arts agencies, and tribal cultural organizations whose mission is to produce, present, or teach the arts, and/or to provide arts-based services. One-hundred eighty-three Community Investment Grants were awarded, totaling $2.41 million—a 10% increase over last year’s Community Investment Grant total.