Local Arts Groups Invited to Apply for Spring Arts Grants

The Bloomington Arts Commission (BAC) invites area arts groups to apply for funding through the Spring 2021 Grants for the Arts program. Nonprofit organizations and arts-based entities in the arts and cultural sectors may apply for operational funds (only for eligible nonprofits) or support for projects that foster the arts and cultivate cultural experiences in Bloomington.

​Applications will be evaluated according to organizational or artistic capacity, community impact, equity and inclusion efforts, and programming needs. Completed applications are due Friday, April 30 at 5 p.m. with awards to be announced and distribution anticipated by early June. Grants are to fund projects taking place between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.  Applications and more information are available at https://bloomington.in.gov/arts/grants.

Since May 2020, the BAC alongside the Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association (BUEA) has administered grants totaling $170,000 to continue to support arts and culture organizations whose programming was interrupted or otherwise impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including $60,000 in additional grants offered in the Fall of 2021 as part of Mayor John Hamilton’s Recover Forward initiative. 

“As we recover and rebuild from this hard year, we remain committed to the arts organizations that are such a big part of our identity and economy in Bloomington,” said Mayor Hamilton. “Our local arts groups have continued to delight, console, and inspire us throughout this crisis, even as they’ve adapted to radically changing business models.”

Prospective applicants may attend an informational workshop about the grants on Friday, April 16 at 12 p.m. Registration for the Zoom session is available at this online form.  The BAC will also offer office hours for applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. More information is available by contacting BAC staff liaison Sean Starowitz at starowis@bloomington.in.gov.