Salt Lake City’s arts scene is remarkable, with affordable high-quality programming and a vibrant community of artists and creatives.  One of the ways the City helps keep it alive is through the City Arts Grants program.

The City Arts Grants program supports a variety of arts activities within Salt Lake City. Made possible through an annual appropriation from the Salt Lake City Council and the Mayor, current year available funds are $355,000 for programming occurring September 1, 2019 through August 31, 2020.

The program is about supporting the professional development of Salt Lake City’s artists. By supporting our artists, we are strengthening our creative economy and overall quality of life. Grants programs help make our arts scene more accessible and affordable for everyone. Here are some great examples from The Blocks SLC you can take advantage or right now (many of these organizations are past recipients of the City Arts Grants program).

The 2019-2020 grant opportunities include the following:

  • Artists-in-the-Classroom grants provide funding for elementary schools in the Salt Lake City School District to support the placement of professional artists in the classroom.  Deadline to submit an application: Tuesday, April 16, 2019, 5:00 p.m.
  • Arts Learning grants support arts learning activities that reach youth of all means, backgrounds, and abilities in Salt Lake City. The funding for this category is intended to recognize the value of providing access and exposure to a wide variety of quality arts experiences and art forms for Salt Lake City’s youth. Deadline to submit an application: Tuesday, April 23, 2019, 5:00 p.m.
  • General Support grants assist arts organizations with general operating expenses. Organizations must demonstrate high quality arts programming, be located in Salt Lake City, and operate with paid administrative staff. Deadline to submit an application: Tuesday, May 28, 2019, 5:00 p.m.
  • Project Support grants are awarded to individual artists and nonprofit organizations for specific arts projects occurring in Salt Lake City. Exhibits, concerts, performances, festivals, workshops, and readings are examples of projects eligible for funding through this category. Deadline to submit an application: Tuesday, June 11, 2019, 5:00 p.m.
  • Mini Grants provide an opportunity for limited funding requests from nonprofit organizations for projects that may arise after the grant deadlines. Grant awards in this category will be $500. The deadline to submit an application is Monday, April 23, 2019, 5:00 p.m. For projects occurring June 2019-August 2019

The applications are now available online. Each City Arts Grant category has its own eligibility standards, guidelines, review criteria, and deadline.

If you are new to the process, the Salt Lake City Arts Council has provided some great video tutorials that provide tips for completing the application. And as always, you can give the arts council a call directly at 801-596-5000.  We are here to better serve and support our artists and creative community.