Arizona Commission on the Arts Awards $2.65 Million in Grants

Arizona Commission on the Arts recently awarded $2.65 million in grant funding for programs throughout the state of Arizona.

The awards were announced by press release on Wednesday, July 25.

The commission is one of 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies across the U.S. These grants are part of its fiscal year 2019 budget, which is in effect from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019.

This allocation represents 80 percent of the agency’s grant budget this year, according to spokesperson Steve Wilcox.

The grants were awarded through three different programs, focused on festivals, art partnerships with schools, and community investment.

The Community Investment Grants total $2.41 million, which is up 10 percent over awards for the same category last year. The commission awarded 183 of these grants, within six different categories based on budget size.

A dozen Community Investment Grant recipients were awarded at least $40,000.

They include Mesa Arts Center, Arizona Opera Company, Arizona Theatre Company, Ballet Arizona, Children’s Museum of Phoenix, Childsplay, Heard Museum, Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix Symphony Association, Phoenix Theatre, and Scottsdale Cultural Council.

Smaller grants went to organizations that include Black Theatre Troupe, CALA Alliance, iTheatre Collaborative, Movement Source, Rising Youth Theatre, Space 55 Theatre Ensemble, Stray Cat Theatre, and nue[BOX].

The Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture received a $25,000 Community Investment Grant.

The commission awarded 43 Festival Grants, which help organizations provide arts and cultural experiences in festival settings. The awards total $114,000, which represents a 28 percent increase over last year.

Recipients included 17 organizations based in Maricopa County, who received $2,000 or $3,000 each. They include Cultural Coalition, Arizona Matsuri, Artlink, Arizona Blues Society, The Latina Dance Project, ASU Art Museum, and CONDER/dance.

They also awarded seven Strengthening Schools Through Arts Partnership Grants, which total $127,041. That’s more than triple the amount awarded for these grants during the previous year.

Five recipients are based in Maricopa County: Create Academy, Peoria Accelerated High School, Solano Elementary, Wilson Primary School, and Arizona Charter Academy. They received between $12,500 and $22,500 each.

Grants are awarded through review panels led by governor-appointed members of Arizona Commission on the Arts. Recipients are chosen based on several factors, such as community impact, quality of programming, and fiscal responsibility, according to the release.

A full list of grant recipients is posted on the Arizona Commission on the Arts website.