The Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture to Award $804,701 to 47 Non-Profit Organizations

Approved by Mayor and Council on July 1, the funding allocation remains the same as was made available in 2013 and 2014. “Our arts community is such a point of pride for this City – they bring people together, they enhance our lives and perspectives, and they provide a real competitive advantage economically,” said Mayor Greg Stanton. “I am confident the recipient organizations will leverage these grants to continue doing great work, and I applaud my colleagues on the Council for their continued commitment to supporting arts and culture in our City.”

According to Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture Executive Director, Gail Browne, arts and culture organizations in Phoenix provided approximately 7,000 performances, 300 exhibitions, 2,500 classes and workshops, and 3,000 school programs last year. This year the Phoenix Arts and Culture Commission approved two new policies for the grants program.  Organizations without legal nonprofit status were allowed to apply with a fiscal agent in the arts learning and festivals categories. Also organizations applying in the capacity building General Operating Support III category were allowed to also apply for a project grant. “This helped to widen our reach and increased the number of submissions to the grants program this year,” said Browne.

All grants are dollar-for-dollar matching grants, requiring grantees to raise funds from corporations, foundations and/or individuals in the city of Phoenix. Organizations that received general operating support provide substantial outreach and education programs to the community. General operating support grant recipients include Alwun House, Arizona Opera, Arizona Science Center, Arizona Theatre Company, Ballet Arizona, Black Theatre Troupe, Children’s Museum of Phoenix, Cultural Coalition, Desert Botanical Garden, Free Arts of Arizona, Grand Canyon Performing Arts, Great Arizona Puppet Theater, Heard Museum, Jazz at AZ/The Nash, Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix Boys Choir Association, Phoenix Center for the Arts, Phoenix Chorale, Phoenix Conservatory of Music,  Phoenix Symphony Association, Phoenix Theatre, Rosie’s House: A Music Academy for Children, Roosevelt Row CDC, Scorpious Dance  Theatre, Shemer Art Center & Museum Association, Valley Youth Theatre, Young Arts Arizona, and Young  Sounds of Arizona.

Arts learning grant recipients partner with schools, school districts, after-school programs, or other community based organizations that serve youth, seniors, or special target populations. Festival projects advance, preserve, or celebrate cultural expressions of diverse populations, or present multiple performances dedicated to a specific art from, such as a theatre, dance, film, etc.  Festival and arts learning grant recipients include the Arab American Festival, Arizona Matsuri, Center Dance Ensemble, Childsplay, Cultural Coalition, Cyphers Center for Urban Arts, Essential Theatre, India Association of Phoenix, Phoenix Blues Society, Phoenix Chamber Music Society, Phoenix Children’s Chorus, Phoenix Chinese Week, Phoenix Film Foundation, Red Rocks Music Festival, Release the Fear, Rising Youth Theatre, Rosson House Heritage Square Foundation and Guild, Shemer Art Center and Museum Association, The Rag Collection, and Young Arts Arizona. (Cultural Coalition, Shemer Art Center and Young Arts Arizona received grants in two categories.)

Through the Rental Support Program a total of $250,000 is awarded to major cultural organizations that help revitalize the Phoenix downtown corridor through their presentations in city-owned performing arts facilities.  Grantees include Arizona Opera, Arizona Theatre Company, Ballet Arizona, Center Dance Ensemble, iTheatre Collaborative, Phoenix Symphony and Valley Youth Theatre.