Two popular workshops presenters are back by popular demand to share more business insights for artists and creatives in March 2021!

Arts Attorney Sarah Conley Odenkirk returns to dive deeper into two topics featured during the 2020 Artists in the Know series: Contracts on March 4, 2021 and Copyright on March 18, 2021. These free online workshops will give artists the opportunity to build on the previous round of workshops and tackle some more specific business and legal questions and scenarios.

The second series of March workshops will feature artist Bill Dambrova leading Digital Files for Public Art workshops, on March 11, 2021 and March 25, 2021. These will provide more in-depth demonstrations of graphic editing and 3D modeling software commonly used to design and fabricate a wide range of public art projects.

All workshops are 60-minutes and are open to the public but require registration.

Guidelines for the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture’s annual Community Arts Grants program are now available. Applications open on March 8, 2021, for FY2022 general and project support grants. The deadline to apply is Thursday, April 1, 2021.

 

The General Support program strengthens the community’s access to arts and culture programming. Grants provide core operating support to arts and cultural organizations of all sizes that have a primary mission to create, produce, or provide arts and cultural programming to enhance the quality of lives for Phoenix residents. 

The Project Support program assists with guest artist fees/expenses, production fees, and marketing expenses for in-person, socially-distanced, and/or virtual projects that engage Phoenix residents, including but not limited to arts workshops, pop-up performances, and collaborations with artists.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues into its second year, the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits is hoping to get an updated view on how this situation has and continues to impact your organization's operations, delivery of service, and revenue. Respond to the Alliance's COVID-19 survey to help them as they advocate on your behalf, tell your collective story to the media and the general public, and work with our collaborative partners and funders to best provide support and resources.

All individual answers will be kept confidential unless the Alliance receives your permission to share in advance. Sharing your contact information at the end of this survey will help them better respond when requested by the media, legislators and on priority issues.

The US Small Business Administration (SBA) reopened the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for First Draw PPP Loans the week of January 11, 2021. SBA began accepting applications for Second Draw PPP Loans on January 13, 2021. PPP provides loans to help businesses keep their workforce employed during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

Applications will be accepted through March 28, 2021, but we suggest you apply as soon as you are able. Please visit the SBA's PPP page for more information.

The Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) Grant program was established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, signed into law on December 27, 2020. The program includes $15 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by the SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance.

Eligible applicants may qualify for SVO Grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. Two billion dollars is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees.

The program is actively under construction, with updates, adjustments, and clarifications arriving frequently. For additional details, see the SBA's Shuttered Venue Operators Grants Frequently Asked Questions (revised February 12, 2012).

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Challenge America program offers support primarily to small organizations for projects in all artistic disciplines that extend the reach of the arts to populations that are underserved. Challenge America features an abbreviated application, a robust structure of technical assistance, and grants for a set amount of $10,000.

Challenge America guidelines include important new details on eligibility requirements, as well as the program description, project types, and what the NEA means by "underserved." The deadline to apply is April 22, 2021. A live webinar with tips and a Q&A session will be held on March 10, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). Please register in advance to attend.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Literature Fellowships program offers $25,000 grants in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry to published creative writers that enable recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. Applications are reviewed through an anonymous process in which the criteria for review are the artistic excellence and artistic merit of the submitted manuscript. Through this program, the NEA seeks to sustain and nurture a diverse range of creative writers at various stages of their careers and to continue to expand the portfolio of American art.

Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov, the federal government’s online application system. The deadline to apply is March 10, 2021. Late applications are not accepted.

The National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) announced this week an open call for Latinx artists, cultural workers and arts organizations to apply for emergency grants through its Actos de Confianza relief efforts.

In collaboration with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Intercultural Leadership Institute (ILI) partners, the $2,500 artist grants and $5,000 organization grants aim to support those facing critical financial emergencies due to the impact of COVID-19 in the United States and Puerto Rico.

The open call for applications for Actos de Confianza relief grants are organized by geographic region. The first call will launch on January 13, 2021 for applicants in the Mid-America region; the second call will launch on March 3, 2021 for the Eastern United States and Puerto Rico; the third call will launch on April 28, 2021 for the Western United States.

Creative Capital helps visionary artists in all disciplines build thriving careers, and every year they review applications from artists ready to take the next step in their creative practices. The selected artists receive the Creative Capital Award, which includes up to $50,000 in funding for bold new projects, as well as a wide range of counsel, career development, and networking opportunities to make their work come to life.

Artists can submit their project ideas through a free application by March 1, 2021, at 4 p.m. Eastern Time. This application helps identify a selection of artists working at the forefront of their fields. It’s designed to provoke deep thought about project ideas to determine intention, impact, timeliness, and capacity.

The Creative Capital Awards application is competitive, takes time to complete, and the final results are not announced until later in the year. However, Creative Capital hopes that the application serves to provoke deep reflection about creative practice and project development.

There’s a dazzling new artist-designed pedestrian bridge over the South Mountain Loop 202 freeway in Laveen. Designed by artist Jody Pinto, the bridge provides a safe way for families to cross the freeway near 59th Avenue and West Elwood Street. The span features perforated brushed aluminum cladding and multicolored skylights that add plenty of shade and sparkling color during the day. For added safety, the inside of the bridge is illuminated with blue lights at night. Magnum Companies, of Phoenix, fabricated and installed the bridge cladding. The pedestrian bridge is part of the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture's public art collection.