Application Now Open: NW CT Arts Council Grants
Applications Now Open: NWCT Arts Council Grants
NEA American Rescue Plan Subgrants to Artists and Organizations
LITCHFIELD COUNTY CT, AUGUST. 1, 2022 – Last fall, the Arts Council was awarded a grant of $150,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), part of the American Rescue Plan grants to local arts agencies. These funds were given to be redistributed to the arts and cultural sector in Northwest CT to aid their recovery from the pandemic. In response, the Council created “Creative Partnerships” grants and “Access” grants to do just that. After months of planning and outreach, they are excited to begin accepting applications.
Creative Partnerships Grants: Funding for collaborative artistic proposals with a focus on community engagement and betterment. Proposals could be the creation of new work or expansions or new realizations of existing programs and services. The Council welcomes partnerships between artists of all disciplines, all nonprofits, units of state/local government, schools, and federally recognized tribal governments.
Access Grants: General operating support grants to arts and cultural nonprofits, schools, and/or units of state or local government dedicated to arts and culture. The Council hopes these grants will equip entities to carry out their missions with greater capacity for engaging underserved populations in the arts.
“Our goal is that this funding will help foster collaboration and help build infrastructure to integrate the arts into community programming,” said Steph Burr, Executive Director of the Arts Council.
The Council has assembled a peer panel to review applications. This panel will engage in several rounds of review during the month of November where they will score each application against the following pre-established scoring criteria: READI (Relevance, Equity, Accessibility, Diversity, and Inclusion), artistic merit, artistic excellence, and sustainability. Panelists were selected based on the diversity of experience and perspectives they offer and in a manner to ensure fair, unbiased review.
“It really is a privilege to have these funds and the chance to give life to some of the thoughtful proposals taking shape”, says Katherine Pelletier, Grant Administrator. “The creativity, talent, and dedication of local artists and nonprofits is beyond impressive. I know our panel will have a tough job deciding which proposals to fund”.
Applications for both grants open August 1, 2022 and close October 31, 2022. Interested applicants can find specific program guidelines as well as the link to apply on our website https://www.artsnwct.org/nea-arp-grants. Any questions concerning these grants can be directed to Katherine Pelletier, at katherine@artsnwct.org. Northwest CT Arts Council sincerely hopes all eligible applicants will submit an application. Spread the word!
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The mission of the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council is to engage the public in building a strong and connected arts and culture community that is integral to the economic development and the collective well-being of the 25-town region it serves. Access to arts and culture is a universal human right, meeting both a social and psychological need. The Arts Council supports a vibrant, vital, and necessary component of the community through promotion and advocacy.
The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council is supported in part by the DECD/Connecticut Office of the Arts, the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation, and the Connecticut Community Foundation, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation,