Arizona Commission on the Arts
/OVERVIEW: The Arizona Commission on the Arts supports arts projects and organizations within the state.
IP TAKE: Grantseekers applying to these grants will have to compete with arts organizations from all other disciplines. Those with a local or regional connection to their work will be the most successful. While this funder does not conduct funding on the broader national stage, it is a major arts funder within it’s state.
This is an accessible and approachable regional funder that strongly believes in it’s mission. While grants can be modest here, they can also be sizable for individual artists and artistic organizations working at the local level.
PROFILE: Created in 1967, Arizona Commission on the Arts (ACA) is a state agency that promotes arts programming throughout the state. It seeks to “create opportunities for all Arizonans to participate in and experience the arts” and works to provide “grants and support to cultivate sustainable arts communities and promote statewide public access to arts and cultural activities.” The commission supports writing through a variety of grants.
Grants for Visual Arts, Music, Dance, Theater, Film, and Writing
The commission’s grants programs rotate regularly with new programs added and old programs replaced each year. New grantseekers should be prepared to keep an eye on the program that interests them to be sure it has not become inactive. Note that this funder conducts grants for various artistic mediums across all of it’s programs.
ACA makes grants to both individual artists and organizations. Among its individual grants, the Artist Opportunity Grant supports Arizona artists looking to pursue “opportunities that have the potential to significantly impact their professional growth.” It funds artists at any stage of their career and in all artistic disciplines. Grant amounts range between $500 and $1,500. The Research and Development Grant provides support for Arizona artists in any discipline “as they work to advance their artistic practice, expand their creative horizons, and deepen the impact of their work.” Grant amounts range from $3,000 and $5,000. Only individuals are eligible to apply; up to 30 grants are awarded each year.
ACA’s grants for groups and organizations focus on projects and programs that broadly support artists and the arts. The Youth Arts Engagement Grant funds projects focused on artists under 24 years old “that occur outside of traditional school hours (before/after school and/or during school holidays/breaks) and are rooted in arts learning practices: sequential hands-on learning through the arts.” Amounts for this grant range from $5,000 to $7,500. Lifelong Arts Engagement Grants support “partnerships that foster meaningful arts learning experiences in a variety of community settings for learners of any age.” These grants are $5,000 to $7,500. Creative Capacity Grants work to “provide unrestricted general operating support to arts and culture organizations of all sizes, local arts agencies, and arts and culture organizations from Tribal Nations, whose primary mission is to produce, present, teach or serve the arts.” Grant amounts vary by applicant size. ACA’s Festival Grant supports “organizations in their efforts to provide quality arts programming through festival activities and are awarded to assist with the costs of connecting artists (or their artistic work) with communities.” Grant amounts range from $1,000 to $5,000.
Finally, the Creative Youth Grant supports both organizations and individual artists. It backs organizations by funding “projects that support young people’s stories and ideas through creative expression” including non-school related youth led arts projects. This grant supports “young artists as they develop new skills or advance their artistic practice outside the traditional school day,” including “paying for lessons, attending a workshop, or paying for supplies and equipment.” Grant amounts range between $250 and $750 for individuals; organizations can request flat amounts of $500, $1,000, or $1,500.
Important Grant Details:
Grant amounts and application processes vary by program and initiative. Grant seekers can contact the grants manager for the program in which they are interested for more information. See individual program pages for contact information and application guidelines and procedures.
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