Grantmaking for Southern Arizonans
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 Uno 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.”
Application Status:Closed
An arts-worker centered subgranting program focused on hiring artists at any stage in their career to deliver quality arts programming and services that meet the needs of their self-described communities.
Application Status:Closed
The stART Grant provides individuals, collectives, co-ops, and 501(c)3 organizations with award funds through two alternate tracks of support: Community Impact track and Artist Development track.
Application Status:Closed
Equitably rebuilding arts economies in the borderlands to strengthen civic participation
Application Status:Closed
Supporting individual artist projects that meet the highest standards of excellence across a diverse spectrum of artistic disciplines and cultural expressions.
Application Status:Closed
Designed to identify and reward high school seniors within Pima County who demonstrate excellence in dance, music, theater, visual arts, media arts, literary arts, poetry, spoken word, craft, or art related to cultural preservation.
Application Status:Closed
stART Grant provides individuals, collectives, and co-ops awards funds through two alternate tracks of support: Community Impact track and Artist Development track.
Application Status:Archived
Project Creosote provides awards to artists and non-profit arts and culture organizations servicing Tucson and Southern Arizona attending to their creative communities’ needs, saving jobs, funding operations, purchasing supplies, and reaching audiences for engagement and participation.
Application Status:Archived
Funded by the City of Tucson We Are One/Somos Uno Resiliency Fund, through the Federal CARES Act. Administered by the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona.
An arts-worker centered subgranting program focused on hiring artists at any stage in their career to deliver quality arts programming and services that meet the needs of their self-described communities.
Application Status: Closed
The stART Grant provides individuals, collectives, co-ops, and 501(c)3 organizations with award funds through two alternate tracks of support: Community Impact track and Artist Development track.
Application Status: Closed
Equitably rebuilding arts economies in the borderlands to strengthen civic participation
Application Status: Closed
stART Grant provides individuals, collectives, and co-ops awards funds through two alternate tracks of support: Community Impact track and Artist Development track.
Application Status: Closed
Supporting individual artist projects that meet the highest standards of excellence across a diverse spectrum of artistic disciplines and cultural expressions.
Application Status: Closed
Designed to identify and reward high school seniors within Pima County who demonstrate excellence in dance, music, theater, visual arts, media arts, literary arts, poetry, spoken word, craft, or art related to cultural preservation.
Application Status: Closed
Funded by the City of Tucson We Are One/Somos Uno Resiliency Fund, through the Federal CARES Act. Administered by the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona.
Application Status: Archived
Project Creosote provides awards to artists and non-profit arts and culture organizations servicing Tucson and Southern Arizona attending to their creative communities’ needs, saving jobs, funding operations, purchasing supplies, and reaching audiences for engagement and participation.
Application Status: Archived
Meet the Arts Foundation Grantees
Read about the artists and cultural leaders making an impact on our communities’ arts landscape. Look through the profiles of current and past Arts Foundation grantees to connect with the thriving Tucson and Southern Arizona arts community.
Grants review process
Our grants review process relies on a panel of artists, arts administrators, community advocates, and cultural workers from varying geographies, disciplines, and backgrounds who review, deliberate, and score the materials submitted by each applicant. Materials are assessed based on eligibility, completeness, and clarity based on the published review criteria. Panel recommendations are then submitted to the Arts Foundation Board of Directors for formal approval and authorization.
Project Creosote Panelists
The Grants Team collaborates with community members who have expertise in the arts, arts management, and/or nonprofit administration functioning as an advisory group to Art Foundation’s Board of Directors. Panelists review grant applications and awards, as well as make allocation recommendations to the Board of Directors.
- Antonio Estrada
- Betty Villegas
- Bianca Finley Alper
- Christian Ruvalcaba
- Desiree Gonzales
- Diana Delgado
- Génesis Cubillas
- José Merino
- Khailill Knight-Papaioannou,
- Lourdes Pereira
- Marcos Ysmael
- Rameen Ahmed