Looking Forward: Opportunities in the Arts
Resources and Programs Coming Soon
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As we move into the new year, the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture is thrilled to announce several exciting opportunities and initiatives for artists, organizations, and residents. Here's what's coming up:
Call for Phoenix Artists HIV/AIDS Awareness Mural
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, in partnership with the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, Southwest Center, One N Ten, and Aunt Rita's Foundation and with support provided by Artlink Inc., seeks to commission a mural for The Parsons Center for Health and Wellness located at 1101 N. Central Ave. in central Phoenix. The goal of this public art project is to raise awareness about HIV prevention, testing, and treatment, inspire community engagement, and reduce stigma around HIV. The deadline to apply is January 8, 2025.
Workshop for Organizations Mission Critical, Exploring and Activating Your Mission
Join Jeff Goodman on January 29, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. for an engaging one-hour virtual presentation designed to help arts organizations explore the effectiveness of their mission and vision statements. This session will dive into what makes these guiding principles impactful, provide real-world examples of effective statements, and outline actionable steps for activating your mission in daily work. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of their organization’s purpose and inspiration for pursuing the next steps in refreshing or rewriting their mission and vision.
Early Spring Community Arts Grant Cycle Opens
Get ready for our upcoming Community Arts Grant Cycle this early spring. The program will open earlier in 2025. Stay tuned for application details! We are looking for panelists. Please complete this Panelist Interest Form to be considered for the upcoming grant cycle process.
Coming Soon Sombra - Experiments in Shade
Through a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge, nine artists have been commissioned to create shading and cooling installations in response to extreme urban heat. Installations will happen across nine parks in the city of Phoenix between March through September next year. ¡Sombra! will include workshops, educational activities, and festive events for artists, civic leaders, and residents to discover new, creative ways to adapt to Phoenix’s extreme urban heat.
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New Public Art Dedicated to the Community
at Eastlake and Solano Parks
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The new artwork “Pipe Dreams” at Solano Park (5625 N. 17th Ave.) was dedicated to the community at the end of November. The artist team Haddad & Drugan was inspired by legendary 1970s Arizona skate parks, drawing inspiration from water pipes and swimming pools. “Pipe Dreams” uses three steel pipes to create a portal, a place to chill, and a full pipe used for skateboarding. The artwork was dedicated at a community celebration in partnership with 19 North, Cowtown Skateboards, Spinato’s, and the Parks and Recreation Department.
This month, residents and neighborhood leaders also celebrated a special dedication ceremony for two new sculptures celebrating the Eastlake Park (1540 E. Jefferson St.) community's rich cultural heritage, resilience, and vibrant spirit. The new public art, titled "Elevated," serves as a gateway to the neighborhood, with the sculptures marking two prominent street corners, 16th Street at Washington and Jefferson. The 20-foot-tall, illuminated monuments represent hands rising like pillars, holding a sunburst of energy, with words that reflect the significance of the Eastlake community: Virtue, Education, Music, Justice, Community, Arts, Equality, and Culture. This project is a partnership with the Neighborhood Services, Housing, Street Transportation, and Parks and Recreation Departments.
Image credit: The left image is "Elevated" at Eastlake Park, taken by the City of Phoenix Communications Office. The right image is of "Pipe Dream" and a community member at Solano Park, taken by James Ritter.
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Welcome New Arts and Culture Staff
City Archaeologist and Communications Coordinator
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Dr. Christopher W. Schwartz (left), Ph.D., RPA, was appointed the new City Archaeologist. He moved to Phoenix in 2001 from Rancho Palos Verdes, California and has lived in Arizona ever since. He attended Arizona State University, earning B.S., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees in Anthropology, specializing in Archaeology. He has conducted archaeological work in Arizona and New Mexico, as well as in the Mexican States of Sonora, Chihuahua, Zacatecas, and Mexico. Dr. Schwartz most recently led a private company's cultural resources department. He was responsible for managing over $3 million of cultural resources projects, overseeing archaeological field operations, compliance and report preparation, and managing and developing a team of 14 archaeologists and specialists.
Jacob Cavenee (right) is the agency's Communications Coordinator. A proud summa cum laude graduate from Arizona State University with a Bachelor in Arts. Jacob joined the Arts and Culture team through the ArtCorps Student Worker Program. Jacob is dedicated to fostering inclusive and engaging experiences for all. With photography, videography, and content creation skills, Jacob excels at developing compelling narratives that amplify community voices and ensure accessible communication across platforms.
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Action Alert from AZ Citizens for the Arts
Send a Message to the Governor Today
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Arizona Citizens for the Arts sent out an action alert this month asking arts advocates to send a message to Governor Hobbs, as she will deliver her recommendation to the Legislature for the FY2026 budget. The Governor must include a line item for the Arizona Commission on the Arts in her budget proposal. The last time the Commission was given ongoing funding in a line item was 14 years ago. Contact the Governor to urge her to restore the line item as a demonstration of her proud support for arts and culture in Arizona. | |
Now Accepting Applications
2025 Outstanding Phoenix Youth Leader of the Year
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The City of Youth and Education Office will accept applications for the 2025 Outstanding Phoenix Youth Leader of the Year awards beginning December 30, 2024. This special award honors the outstanding achievements of young people, enhancing the perception of youth and raising community awareness of their positive contributions. Two overall students will be selected to receive a $3,000 scholarship and free admission to a summer leadership camp. | |
National Endowment for the Grants
Several Opportunities Available
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Nonprofit organizations can now apply for National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding in Challenge America and Grants for Arts Projects for programs beginning in 2026.
Grants for Arts Projects support many arts activities to strengthen the nation’s arts and culture ecosystem. These include opportunities for public engagement with the arts and arts education, integrating the arts with strategies promoting the health and well-being of people and communities, and improving overall capacity and capabilities within the arts sector. Grants range from $10,000 to $100,000. All grants require a nonfederal cost share or match of at least 1 to 1. Application Deadlines: February 13, 2025, and July 10, 2025, for projects taking place beginning in 2026.
Challenge America projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved groups/communities. This program may be a good entry point for organizations new to applying for federal funding. Grants are awarded in all artistic disciplines for various art projects. Challenge America grants are for $10,000 and feature a robust structure of technical assistance. Grants require a cost share/match of $10,000 consisting of cash and/or in-kind contributions. Total project costs must be at least $20,000 or greater. Application Deadline: April 24, 2025, for projects beginning in 2026.
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Applications are now open for NEA Big Read grants to support community-wide reading programs between September 2025 and June 2026 under the new theme, “Our Nature: How Our Physical Environment Can Lead Us to Seek Hope, Courage, and Connection.” An initiative of the NEA in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read supports a range of events and activities designed around a single NEA Big Read book. This program aims to inspire meaningful conversations, celebrate local creativity, elevate a wide variety of voices and perspectives, encourage cross-sector collaboration, and build stronger connections in each community. Matching grants range from $5,000 to $20,000 each. The Intent to Apply deadline is January 23, 2025. | |  |
In partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA is pleased to announce exciting updates to the Shakespeare in American Communities initiative. For more than two decades, the program has brought high-quality theater productions and educational activities inspired by William Shakespeare's works to communities across the United States. For the 2025-26 cycle, nonprofit theater organizations can also apply for a new apprenticeship program and opportunities for engaging audiences in non-traditional settings. Grants are awarded to nonprofit theater companies and help bring theater to middle and high schools, juvenile justice facilities, and other community spaces. The Intent to Apply deadline is January 30, 2025. | |
National Endowment for the Humanities
Public Humanities Program
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The Public Humanities Projects program supports projects that bring the ideas of the humanities to life for general audiences through public programming. Projects must engage humanities scholarship to analyze significant themes in disciplines such as history, literature, ethics, and art history. Awards support projects that are intended to reach broad and diverse public audiences in non-classroom settings in the United States. Projects should engage with ideas that are accessible to the general public and employ appealing interpretive formats.
Public Humanities Projects support projects in three categories (Exhibitions, Historic Places, and Humanities Discussions) and at two funding levels (Planning and Implementation). Proposed projects may include complementary components; for example, a museum exhibition might be accompanied by a website or mobile app. The deadline to apply is January 8, 2025.
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Institute of Museum and Library Services
Museum Assessment Program
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The Museum Assessment Program (MAP) is supported through a cooperative agreement between the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the American Alliance of Museums. MAP offers museums an opportunity to strengthen operations and plan for the future through a year-long self-assessment and consultative peer review process.
A MAP assessment engages a team of museum staff and stakeholders in a series of institutional self-assessment activities and information gathering using a MAP Workbook. During this process, a peer reviewer conducts a site visit and consults with staff, governing officials, volunteers, and other stakeholders. The Peer Reviewer then works with the museum and MAP staff to produce an assessment report evaluating the museum's operations, making recommendations, and suggesting resources and strategies for implementation.
Four MAP assessment types are available: organizational, collections stewardship, education and interpretation, and community and audience engagement.
Museums are selected through a competitive process that requires an application jointly submitted by the museum and the Peer Reviewer. The application should include a draft agenda with clear goals for the follow-up visit, and the museum must demonstrate progress made since the initial visit. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2025.
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