The Artists to Work Program supports the creation and presentation of original, new, or in-process artistic work by practicing Phoenix artists, including a public presentation, installation, or performance that will be made available to residents.

Eligible individual artists must live in Phoenix, be over 18 years old, and be practicing artists currently generating original, new, and/or in-process artistic work. Their proposed project must have art as the primary discipline.

Over three grant cycles, the Artists to Work program will distribute a total of $450,000 to Phoenix resident artists disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This program is part of the funding the Office of Arts and Culture received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) through allocations made by Phoenix City Council.

“Arts and culture add richness to our community, and this program invests in top artistic talent so they may continue to thrive in Phoenix,” said Mayor Kate Gallego. “Fostering an environment that supports and embraces art is vital to Phoenix future, and maintaining our recognition as a great place to live, work, and visit.”

A total of twenty grantees have been awarded in the inaugural cycle, each receiving a flat grant award of $7,500. Awardees will work on their proposed project throughout the 2023 calendar year and present their work and process at artist showcases in early 2024. The 2023 Artists to Work grantees are:   

The Office of Arts and Culture is seeking applications for four different Calls to Artists! Check out www.phoenix.gov/arts for more information and how to apply for each opportunity. Projects include:

Seeking professional artists to work with an engineering design team, City departments, community groups and stakeholders to design, fabricate and install integrated public art and other enhancements along the Grand Canal corridor between 47th and 75th Avenues in Maryvale.

Requesting qualifications from professional artists for purchase of existing sculptures for semi-permanent display at two locations in Phoenix: the 55th Avenue Promenade, from Camelback to Indian School Road, and the Western Canalscape at 20th Street.

Requesting qualifications from local emerging artists for its Pre-Qualified Artist Roster. Artists selected for this Roster will be eligible for opportunities to design artwork for urban furniture and utility boxes throughout the city over the next three years.

Looking for professional artists working in a variety of media and artistic approaches for its Pre-Qualified Artist Roster. Artists selected for this Roster will be eligible for several park pro​​jects over the next two years.

Over the next two years, the program will fund multiple small grants for arts and culture projects during light rail construction. The projects can be visual, performative, educational, or experiential as long as they are accessible to all residents. Valley Metro will ultimately fund a total of $90,000 to local 501(c)(3) organizations, cultural and educational institutions and neighborhood or community associations.

Grant applications will be evaluated by community members who live or work near the project corridor.

Valley Metro invites community organizations to apply for the first round of grant funding by December 12. Or, apply to become a member of one of the Grant Review Panels by December 12.

The City of Phoenix partnered with Downtown Phoenix Inc. and Artlink Inc. to select a local artist to create a 190 feet mural on Adams Street, near the entrance of the Phoenix Convention Center, in downtown Phoenix.

Over the next few years, Phoenix is hosting major city-wide events, including fan activities for the NFL 2023 Super Bowl LVII, the 2024 NCAA Men's Final Four, and the 2026 NCAA Women's Final Four. Project partners wanted to celebrate Phoenix's festive and diverse culture by incorporating a large-scale mural on the side of the Regency Garage on Adams Street that will welcome residents and visitors downtown. This 190' x 10' wall is prominently positioned near the entrance of the Phoenix Convention Center and will be completed before the Super Bowl in February 2023.

A total of 47 artist and artist team submissions were received, and eight artists were selected to advance as finalists. Following a final panel review, artist Kayla Newnam, an experienced muralist based in Phoenix, was selected for the commission.

"We are thrilled for this partnership and that arts and culture has been called upon to welcome residents and visitors to Phoenix when attending these major events," said Mitch Menchaca, executive director of the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture. "Kayla's artwork highlights not just downtown but the beauty all around the city."

The exhibition celebrates one of the first Public Art projects, the Central Avenue Medallions. By highlighting the processes that turned raw copper from Arizona mines into the artist-designed medallions along Phoenix’s Central Avenue, the exhibition shows viewers how copper mining and production merged with art and design to create this landmark city project. Major exhibition components include displays showing where and how copper is mined in Arizona, and interpretive material describing the state’s rich history of mining.

Also, in collaboration with the Arizona Mining Museum and the Cave Creek mineral Museum, several mineral examples, tools and other items related to copper mining are on view. The exhibition has been developed by Friends of Phoenix Public Art, in cooperation with the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, with support from FreePort-McMoRan.

Located on the first floor of City Hall, the gallery is dedicated to displaying rotating exhibitions of art from the City's historic municipal Art Collection of approximately 1,000 portable works and highlighting exemplary projects commissioned by the award-winning Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture Public Art Program. Opened in May 2012 to celebrate Arizona's Centennial, it offers Phoenix residents and visitors alike, a museum-like setting to view and enjoy the legacy of art that Phoenicians began building nearly a century ago in 1915. ​

The Gallery @ City Hall is open every Friday from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. (holidays excluded).

Header image: Uplift - 107th Avenue Streetscape, 107th Avenue, Camelback to Indian School Roads

Artists: Haddad | Drugan, LLC - Learn More