Grants:Public Art for Neighborhoods Grants

Public Art for Neighborhoods Grants

Public Art for Neighborhoods Grants pair artists with communities to collaborate on arts & culture projects that residents can enjoy and appreciate.

Applications will be reviewed in April, July, and October of 2024.

The final round deadline is closed.

Public Art for Neighborhoods Grants

About the grants

Public Art for Neighborhoods grants pair artists with communities to collaborate on arts & culture projects that residents can enjoy and appreciate. These $500 to $5,000 grants–supported by the City of Indianapolis–can be used for initiatives such as:

  • Arts & culture activities in public spaces.
  • A public art project, such as a mural or sculpture.
  • Maintenance/repair of public art.
  • Arts collaborations with other community initiatives such as education, public safety, food justice or health services.
  • Note: New ideas are welcome.

Pictured: Haughville Public Library mural project by Nasreen Khan

Public Art for Neighborhoods Grants

Eligible applicants

Applications for this program are partner-based. The partnership must be between an artist (any medium or art form) and a neighborhood-based organization located in Marion County.

Either the artist organization or the can be the “Lead Applicant”. Organizations are not required to have 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, but they cannot be for-profit businesses.

Pictured: Ellenberger Park project by Cassia Malbone and Azure Swinford

Which public art grant should I apply for?

If you’re ready to apply for a Public Art for Neighborhoods grant, you’re in the right place.
If you want to learn more about the Public Art for All grants, click here.

How to apply for a Public Art for Neighborhoods grant

Connect with the Public Art for Neighborhoods grants program coordinator

Julia Muney Moore

Julia Muney Moore

Director of Public Art
she/her

For personalized assistance, schedule a 30-minute consultation here or email jmoore@indyarts.org.

past public art for neighborhoods projects

  • Haughville Public Library mural

  • Garfield Park Cookbook

Haughville Public Library mural by Nasreen Khan

Before she created the mural at the Haughville Public Library, artist Nasreen Khan asked Near West residents what scenes, people and places mattered to them. Images include historic Holy Trinity Church, the beloved Westside Bait & Tackle shop, Belmont Beach and faces of residents past and present. “We wanted the average person to be the one to decide about what we put on the wall—so we asked them,” she said. 

Garfield Park Cookbook by Clockwork Janz

Artist Clockwork Janz collected recipes–along with stories and histories–from people who live or work in Garfield Park, then produced 310 copies of the Garfield Park Cookbook in 2021. Janz wrote a foreword connecting culinary traditions to art and food history to humanity. 

Seven of the recipes were illustrated, and the website features a musical interpretation of each of the 31 recipes. “Drawn into presentness by the music, someone would be enticed to cook a dish based on how a musical piece interacts with their mood,” Janz said. 

FAQs

Public Art for Neighborhoods Grants

Who can apply?

Applications for this program are partner-based. The partnership must be between an artist (any medium or art form) and a neighborhood-based organization located in Marion County.

Either the artist organization or the can be the “Lead Applicant”. Organizations are not required to have 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, but they cannot be for-profit businesses.

What projects can be funded?

Any project that pairs artists with communities to address neighborhood goals.

Projects that address issues of public art equity that were raised in the 2022 Public Art for All census report will be preferred for funding. These issues include (but are not limited to):

  • Placing permanent or temporary artwork or conducting other arts-based activities in identified “public art deserts”
  • Addressing maintenance issues with existing public art
  • Providing opportunities for women, transgender, non-binary, Black, Indigenous, and people of color
How much money can I request?

Grants are for any amount between $500 and $5,000. You do not need to provide a matching amount.

When do I apply?

Apply anytime before October 6, 2024 for projects that will be completed by June 30, 2025. Awards will be made quarterly through 2024.

How do I apply?

Visit our grant application portal to apply.

Where can I get full program information?

Complete guidelines are available in English and in Spanish.

Have more questions? Check out our extended FAQs in English and in Spanish and our grant writing tips in English and in Spanish.

How can I get more help?

Schedule a 30-minute consultation here or email jmoore@indyarts.org.

Explore more grant opportunities.

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Public Art for Neighborhoods Grants