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Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona Celebrates Over $3 Million Invested in Southern Arizona’s Arts and Culture Ecosystem
Tucson, AZ – In the face of unprecedented challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona has steadfastly directed its resources towards supporting and strengthening the arts and culture ecosystem across Southern Arizona. Over the past four fiscal years, from July 2020 through June 2024, the Arts Foundation distributed a comprehensive re-granting portfolio of $3,219,474 to 672 artists and arts organizations via 16 diverse grant programs. This sizeable funding was made possible with local, regional, and federal funding, notably through the City of Tucson’s Somos Uno Cares Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts, with support from Pima County, Arizona Commission on the Arts, private partnerships and hundreds of donors. The timeliness of the coordinated response was instrumental in job creation and retention in the arts sector. In addition to supporting individual artists and culture workers based in arts organizations, the funding ensured that our communities would have access to the creative expressions of their choice. This commitment to the arts and culture job market materialized into tangible opportunities for creatives to expand access to cultural offerings that nourish the social fabric of our region.
“Local arts agencies, such as the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona, are an integral part of our country’s arts ecosystems,” said Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. “They play an important role in sustaining the health and vitality of the arts and artists locally, strive to make the arts accessible to all, and contribute to building communities where all people can thrive.”
Adriana Gallego, CEO of the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona, expressed, “The multi-layered government funding emphasizes the importance of arts and cultural expression as key contributors to individual health and social connectedness, at a time when our communities need it the most. Through these investments, our vibrant arts and culture ecosystem has used creativity to inspire, to heal, to tell the stories of our time, to foster belonging and to nourish joy. We look forward to furthering our work alongside creative workers to sow seeds of hope for years to come.”
“Tucson’s thriving arts and culture scene is a testament to our community’s resilience and creativity,” said City of Tucson Mayor, Regina Romero. “The City of Tucson was able to distribute Somos Unos Cares Funds immediately and efficiently through the Arts Foundation, which sustained our artists and cultural organizations through challenging times and ensured that art remains an accessible and integral part of our community. I am proud to support such a vital partner that uplifts Tucson’s unique cultural heritage and fuels our vibrant spirit.”
Key Highlights of the Four-Year Investment:
– Total amount liberated in grants (FY21-FY24): $3,219,474
– Total number of grantees: 672, demonstrating the Foundation’s extensive reach and impact across our service region.
– Total number of grant programs administered: 16, offering diverse and comprehensive support to the arts sector.
Annual Breakdown:
FY21 (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021):
Number of grants: 519
Funding amount: $2,284,294.00
Funders: Federal CARES Act funding through City of Tucson We Are One/Somos Uno Resiliency Fund; the National Endowment for the Arts; Pima County; the Arizona Daily Star and the Artists Emergency Fund Committee including 200 donors.
FY22 (July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022):
Number of grants: 51
Funding amount: $215,035.00
Funders
FY23 (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023):
Number of grants: 28
Funding amount: $84,950.00
Funders: City of Tucson; Pima County.
FY24 (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024):
Number of grants: 74
Funding amount: $635,195.00
Funders: Pima County; the National Endowment for the Arts and City of Tucson with support from the American Rescue Plan Act.
