The Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) announced on Thursday it has awarded $3,431,351 to 414 nonprofits to fund arts projects and organizations around the state through the Arts Organization Support and Arts Project Support grant programs.
Locally, 17 Hamilton County organizations received total funding of $167,166. See the breakdown of funding rewards in the blue box below.
During its June 9 Quarterly Business Meeting, the Commission approved the funding recommendations for the two grant programs. Applications were reviewed by 146 panelists from around the state and country with expertise in the arts, community development, and nonprofit management.
Arts Organization Support grants provide annual operating support for the ongoing artistic and administrative functions of eligible arts organizations. Arts Project Support grants provide funding to Indiana 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and public entities for a specific arts project or arts activities. Between both programs, 75 of Indiana’s 92 counties will receive funding.
“The projects and organizations selected to receive funding are strengthening our state,” Indiana Arts Commission Chair Anne Penny Valentine said. “The Commission is excited and honored to invest in Hoosier communities, supporting organizations that are doing exceptional creative work to make Indiana a great place to live, work, play, study, and stay.”
This year, changes to the AOS program were made to decrease barriers in the application process, increase support to smaller, emerging, and first-time applicants, and provide more meaningful award sizes to grant recipients through a field-driven input process. Learn more about this programmatic review at this link.
Changes to the program resulted in increased support and access to small organizations and increased average overall award size statewide. The Arts Organization Support program received applications from 36 organizations not previously funded by the program, and funding to smaller organizations and rural communities increased.
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The Commission also voted to distribute funds from the Arts Trust, which is supported by the sale of the Celebrate the Arts license plate. One Arts Project Support grant recipient from every county with a funded application has been designated as an Arts Trust Project.
Conner Prairie Museum, Inc., was the designated recipient for Hamilton County.
Funding for these projects is supported in part through the Arts Trust Plate funding. Beneficiaries were selected based on exemplary commitment to community, education, economy, and health.
“Art and creativity strengthen the fabric of Indiana’s communities. They promote connection and cohesion, foster the entrepreneurial spirit communities need to thrive, and create the kinds of communities where people want to live,” Indiana Arts Commission Executive Director Miah Michaelsen said. “In every corner of our state, public funding for arts and creativity continually proves to be a high-return investment that improves the quality of life of Hoosiers and drives economic development within our state.”