What Happened
The National Endowment for the Arts recently awarded $4.9 million for its “Our Town” grants, which are aimed at projects that contribute to the livability of communities “with arts at their core.”
So What?
There were 80 awardees in 44 states; the average award was $50,000. But a total of 317 applications were submitted. So, why were 237—or 75 percent—rejected? To help Gov1 readers become more successful with future grants applications, we spoke with the NEA to learn successful strategies.
The Categories
All applications were divided into three categories: Arts Engagement, Cultural Planning and Design, and Non-metro and Tribal Communities:
- Arts Engagement: These projects included artistic programming that fosters interaction among community members, arts organizations, and art that uses existing cultural and community assets. Festivals and public art commissions fall into this category.
- Cultural Planning and Design: “Planning” projects involve the development of local support systems necessary for creative placemaking to succeed, including creative asset mapping, master planning for cultural districts, creative industries, and creative entrepreneurship. “Design” includes the design of artist spaces, cultural facilities, public spaces for cultural engagement, and wayfinding systems. 50 percent of the grants went to municipalities of less than 50,000 people.
- Non-Metro and Tribal Communities: These projects involved smaller communities that are not adjacent to a metropolitan area; they were typically smaller, rural, and isolated communities that did not have the same access to resources as many larger communities. A bedroom community that is a small suburb of a large city, for instance, was not included.
Examples
Among the awardees:
- Union County Arts Center in Rahway, NJ ($75,000 Grant): Located 20 miles south of Manhattan, Rahway’s grant will enable several organizations—the Union County Arts Center, the city’s redevelopment agency, Arts Guild New Jersey, LuceGroup, Rahway Arts District, and others—to collaborate on a series of creative performances and community engagement activities called RAHWAY ARTsPART. This grant will build off of the arrival of seven new performance groups—including the American Repertory Ballet, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, StrangeDog Theatre Company, the World Beat Box Association, and others—to do programming not only in a new theater, but all over town.
- Milwaukee Ballet Company in Milwaukee, WI ($100,000 Grant): The Milwaukee Ballet is teaming with the City of Milwaukee to create schematic designs for the Harmony Initiative, a new cultural facility in the Downtown Center District that will focus on performing arts, higher education, and health and wellness. The facility will integrate programming and generate shared revenue for three organizations: Milwaukee Ballet, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts, and Medical College of Wisconsin Sports Medicine.
- Arts Collaborative of Nevada County in Nevada City, CA ($25,000 Grant): According to the NEA, Nevada County—a “Gold Rush”-founded community in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California—has more artists per capita than any other county in the state. Nevada County Arts (NCArts) will use its grant to fund the Tribute Trail Environmental Art Project. NCArts is partnering with Nevada City, along with more than ten conservation groups, cultural organizations, and educational institutions on the project. The partners will commission and install 15 environmentally based temporary public artworks along the Deer Creek Tribute Trail, a recently completed nine-mile river parkway that links Nevada City’s downtown historic and economic area with the surrounding natural features.
Keys to Victory
According to the NEA, there are important keys to winning the awards. In order to gain funding, your proposals must include:
- A systemic approach to civic development and a persuasive vision for enhanced community vibrancy;
- Clearly defined civic development goals and objectives that recognize and enhance the role that the arts and design play at the center of community life;
- An action plan aligned with the project vision and civic development goals; and
- A funding plan that is appropriate, feasible, indicates strong community support, and includes a well-conceived sustainability strategy.
The projects for proposed funding must also possess these benefits:
- Improve their quality of life;
- Encourage creative activity;
- Create community identity and a sense of place; and
- Revitalize local economies.
More Information
For additional information, refer to the NEA’s Our Town grant site.