Applications Being Accepted for ARPA 4 Arts Grant Program

CONTACT: Stacey Norton, Department of Arts & Culture
210-207-6960, [email protected]

SAN ANTONIO (June 29, 2022) - The City of San Antonio's Department of Arts & Culture announced that the application window to receive recovery grants funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for the San Antonio arts community opened today. The ARPA 4 Arts Grant Program will distribute a total of $4 million to San Antonio arts nonprofits and $1 million to San Antonio artists who were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now through July 29, 2022, individual artists can apply to receive up to $7,500, while eligible arts nonprofits will be granted based on budget size and the communities they serve. The program is expected to assist at least 133 San Antonio individual artists and 40 arts nonprofits.

Eligible individual artists must live in San Antonio and be a professional artist for the last three years who derived a portion of their income from their artistic activity and demonstrate COVID-19's impact to their artistic career. Eligible arts nonprofits must be based in San Antonio, have been providing arts programming for the last three years and demonstrate COVID-19's impact to their business. Scoring for the grant program includes a focus on equity, as COVID-19 disproportionately impacted specific communities more than others including low-income communities, communities of color and women.

The COVID-19 pandemic immediately devastated San Antonio's creative economy, causing organizations and businesses that house artistic programming to shutter their doors, cancel performances and exhibitions, cut budgets and reduce personnel. According to the SABER Research Institute, San Antonio's creative economy job loss during the pandemic was 18% and estimated losses for nonprofits are $71 million as of January 2021. In addition, Americans for the Arts research notes that the arts sector is recovering slower than other industries, with COVID-19 continuing to disrupt in-person programming, audience size and charitable giving.

"In the midst of the pandemic and facing significant hardships, so many of San Antonio's artists and cultural organizations provided free virtual programming to keep our community connected when we could not safely gather in person," said Department of Arts & Culture Interim Executive Director Krystal Jones. "San Antonio's creative industry is now, and still, very much in a recovery phase. The funding provided by ARPA 4 Arts is critical to supporting the arts sector that supported us, so artists and organizations can move forward and continue to increase the quality of life of residents and visitors through arts and culture."

The ARPA 4 Arts Grant Program will accept applications June 29 - July 29, 2022, through the Department of Arts & Culture's GoSmart application portal. For full details and requirements, visit www.SanAntonio.gov/arts

Author: Rene Avila (C&E)

Categories: City News, Mayor & Council, Arts & Culture News

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