Community Arts Grant Program

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The application period for the FY2025 Community Arts Grants is December 30, 2024, to February 3, 2025

The Mini Grant application will open on January 27, 2025. Applicants must submit their final application online by 11:00 p.m. on March 7, 2025.

The Community Arts Grant program (CAG) is funded through transient guest tax (TGT) revenue (tax paid by hotel guests) and is overseen by the Cultural Arts Commission. The CAG Program aligns with the City Strategic Plan, particularly the Unmistakable Identity outcome area and the following commitment areas: community engagement, equity and inclusion, and environmental sustainability. We're specifically asking applicants to articulate how their project or program supports Unmistakable Identity and moves the needle on one or more of the performance indicators.

The overarching purpose of the Cultural Arts Commission's Community Arts Grant Program is to advance the goals identified by the Lawrence community in the City Wide Cultural Plan, which include: 1) Balance the Local; 2) Embrace All/Celebrate Community; 3) Build Places Together; 4) Build and Market a Creative Brand; and 5) Promote Lifelong Learning.

FY 2025 Community Arts Grant Guidelines - Application opens December 30, 2024

New! For those who are new to the Community Arts Grant application process, we are offering a Pre-Application review. Interested applicants can submit their grant application PDF form by 11:00 p.m. on by January 15, 2025 – or sooner – for initial screening and basic minimum requirements by staff. Feedback will be returned by January 22, 2025 prior to the final application deadline. The pre-application fillable PDF form can be downloaded HERE. Pre applications are optional, not required.

For more information, contact Porter Arneill at parneill@lawrenceks.org or (785) 832-3449.

Mini Grants will provide as many as five grants of up to $500 each to help support artists with start-up costs for equipment specifically aligned with their art practice. NOTE: Mini Grant application review will follow a different schedule than the regular grants, see timeline below. The Mini grant online application form will also be different than the online form for regular grants.

The Mini Grant Application will open on January 27, 2025. Applicants must submit their final application online by 11:00 p.m. on March 7, 2025. Late and incomplete applications will not be considered; modifications are not allowed after the deadline passes. The full grant schedule is below.

The 2025 Community Arts Grant Online Application will open on December 30, 2024

The application period will close on Friday, February 3, 2025 at 11:00 p.m. Late and incomplete applications will not be considered; modifications are not allowed after the deadline passes.


2024 Community Arts Grants

  • Lawrence Arts Center, Free State Festival: $10,000
  • Busker Festival: $10,000
  • Amplify Lawrence, Inc., 2024 Amplify Lawrence Camp Experience: $5,000
  • Van Go, Inc., Benchmark, 2024: $9,000
  • Spencer Museum of Art, d/b/a/ University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc., native Fashion: $9,000
  • Art Tougeau, Inc., A Low-rider Twist to a 25 Year Lawrence Tradition: $4,303
  • Lawrence Art Guild Association, Emerging Artist Booth: $2,996
  • Marla Quilts, Inc., National African American Quilt Convention: $5,000
  • Lawrence Juneteenth Organization, Lawrence Juneteenth Celebration: $6,500
  • Black:30 Association, Inclusive Market Project: $5,390
  • Lawrence Kansas Pride Inc., Lawrence Pride Party 2024: $4,800