Neighborhood Public Art Grants for Artists and Communities

Neighborhood Public Art Grants for Artists and Communities

Posted by Indy Arts Council

Posted: Jun, 02, 2016

Film - Funding / Grants - Literary - Performing - Public Art - Social Practice Art - Visual

Website: http://www.indyarts.org/pafn

 Indianapolis, IN, 46204

The 2020 Public Art for Neighborhoods Community Connection Grants are designed to support the work of artists leading in their own communities, partnering with their neighborhoods and neighborhood-based organizations, to help address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and to advance racial justice priorities on a hyperlocal level that have been identified by the neighborhoods themselves.  Through this funding, which is being directed as quickly as possible as an aspect of COVID-19 relief, artists can help envision a more connected, just, and equitable future for everyone. Arts and culture will be essential to our recovery and progress as a society, and supporting artists’ work is the key to arts and cultural activity.

GRANT AMOUNT: $500 – $2,500

ELIGIBILITY: Artists and Marion County community-based organizations may apply

DEADLINE: Apply when ready; program ends when funding is depleted or on March 19, 2021, whichever occurs sooner

FULL INFORMATION and APPLICATION WORKSHOPSVisit the program website

Public Art for Neighborhoods Community Connection is a City of Indianapolis grant program administered by the Arts Council of Indianapolis. The funds to be granted have been provided to the City by private developers in partial or full satisfaction of their public art requirement as outlined in Ch. 271 of the Indianapolis-Marion County Code of Ordinances.

At least 50% of funds granted through this program will support projects in neighborhoods where the average household income is less than 138% of the current Federal poverty line.

  • A total of $50,000 has been reserved to make grants between $500 and $2,500 for projects that fit this purpose.
  • Apply anytime before March 19, 2021 for projects that will be completed no later than May 31, 2021.
  • Applications will be reviewed every 2 weeks.
  • Grant awards will be made until funds are depleted.

Eligible Lead Applicants

  • Individual artists (literary, performing, visual, etc.), or a group or collective of artists.
  • Neighborhood-based and neighborhood-serving non-arts organizations, such as a neighborhood association, a community development corporation, a resident association, a neighborhood group, a social service organization, etc. with a defined mission to serve a specific neighborhood.

An organizational Lead Applicant must be physically based in the Marion County neighborhood where the project is planned to take place.

Eligible Participating Artists

  • If the Lead Applicant is not an individual artist (literary, performing, visual, etc.) or a group or collective of artists, the Lead Applicant MUST identify at least one Participating Artist by name.
  • The Participating Artist must provide a letter committing to work with the Lead Applicant if the Lead Applicant’s proposed project is funded through this program.
  • The Participating Artist must be paid for their participation in the project.

Eligible Community Partners

  • If the Lead Applicant is an individual artist (literary, performing, visual, etc.) or a group or collective of artists, the Lead Applicant MUST identify at least one Community Partner by name.
  • The Community Partner(s) can be a neighborhood-based and neighborhood-serving organization (such as a neighborhood association, a community development corporation, a resident association, or a neighborhood group), a non-profit organization, a unit of city government, a school, a church, or anyone else that can help the Lead Applicant complete the project successfully.
  • The Community Partner(s) must be physically based within the neighborhood where the project is planned to take place.

Eligible Projects

We are looking for projects that use the arts to address issues or situations raised by the COVID-19 pandemic within the community, and/or engage the arts to support racial justice initiatives on a neighborhood scale.

We are looking for a strong, authentic, collaborative partnership between an artist and the community–ideally, with an artist who lives in the community.

We are looking for an approach that is artistically relevant to the community, and one that the community members will connect with and appreciate.

Potential projects to consider include:

  • Artistically supporting and reinforcing COVID-19 health directives, and providing artist-created health-related items
  • Putting a human face to the current crises, and raising awareness of victims’ basic humanity
  • Connecting local COVID-19 relief and racial justice efforts to larger national and international statements and movements
  • Creating works of art in public that support “cope, hope, and act” initiatives for COVID-19 and racial justice
  • Entertaining people from a safe distance
  • Providing welcome distractions
  • Supplying methods of self-care that allow people to relax and laugh

HOW TO APPLY

Visit the grant program website to download and review full application instructions before applying.

Apply ONLINE ONLY through this link.

Applications require the following:

  1. Applicant and partner information (including City-County Council district and Councillor information)
  2. Project budget (income and expenses)
  3. Proposal Narrative: 3 questions
  4. Support Materials: artistic documentation and letters of support

QUESTIONS? Contact Julia Moore, Director of Public Art, Arts Council of Indianapolis, jmoore@indyarts.org