Main Street Grants
Public Art Grant Program
The Division of Arkansas Heritage’s (DAH) Public Art Grant Program assists Main Street communities and Downtown Network communities in enhancing the appearance of their environment by facilitating the collaborations necessary to build and strengthen an awareness and enjoyment of public art. The Public Art Grant Program assists communities that participate in the Main Street Arkansas program in the planning and implementation (including purchasing and commissioning works of art) of public art for places viewable by the public within the Main Street district and on gateways to Main Street districts. Projects must be new, site specific, public art not memorial statues or works of religious nature. The artworks can include, but are not limited to, murals and tile work, paintings and drawings (of permanent nature), and sculpture. The artwork must be freely visible and accessible to the public for at least two years. After installation of public art, applicant will be required to coordinate an unveiling event with DAH.
Public Art Grants are awarded to assist Main Street Arkansas applicants with the installation of a public artwork. Grant awards may be used for expenses associated with the following:
Deadline: Thursday, November 5, 2020
Project Duration: Project should be completed within 12 months of award notification.
Maximum Award: $10,000
Match Ratio: 1:1 cash match
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Accredited Main Street programs and Arkansas Downtown Network programs are currently the only entities eligible to apply for public art grants through this program. The Main Street and Downtown Network cities must be active at the time of application and remain active in the program throughout the duration of the grant. If a program becomes inactive, it will be considered ineligible for award and will void award agreement.
The grant may be used as reimbursement for the cost of commissioning, designing and installing artwork. The grant may not be used for general administrative expenses incurred by the applicant or any of the collaborators—which include administrative salaries/benefits, capital expenditures, or general marketing costs—or to cover artistic and technical staff salaries/benefits for the applicant or any collaborator. Questions on the appropriateness of a proposed budget line item should be referred to the grant administrator.
A grant request must be matched 1:1 by cash from sources other than the Department of Arkansas Heritage or its divisions. Matching funds that are anticipated at the time of application must be received and obligated within 6 months of award. In-kind contributions may not be used as matching funds on an application, nor counted as matching funds on final reports. They should, however, be included in applications as evidence of the commitment of other resources to the applicant.
