Arts
$5 Million in ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF)
On February 3, 2022, City Council allocated this funding for Arts. The City Council designated the Community Health, Environment & Culture Committee (CHECC) to oversee the implementation planning for this category. The Department of Arts & Culture developed an implementation plan known as ARPA 4 Arts. ARPA 4 Arts provides grants to nonprofits and individual artists disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. CHECC considered the recommendation over the course of two meetings. The plan was approved on May 10, 2022. On June 2, 2022, the City Council approved the ARPA 4 Arts implementation plan.
Spending Framework
To help the arts thrive in San Antonio beyond the pandemic, the spending plan provides a grant program for:
- Individual artists
- Nonprofit arts organizations
View Implementation Plan(PDF, 202KB)
COVID-19 Impact
- Arts nonprofits & artists were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19
- The Arts experienced financial hardships from revenue losses
- 18% decrease in employment
- 16% decrease in creative economy
Programs/Strategies
- Develop grant program for arts nonprofits & artists
- Support nonprofits' operational costs, strategic planning & COVID-19 mitigation
- Support artists' housing/living expenses, professional development, & artistic career
Equitable Outcomes
- Disproportionally impacted communities prioritized in funding policy
- Arts agencies & artists thrive beyond the pandemic
- Residents & visitors connected & engaged with local artists & arts programming
- San Antonio's reputation as a top arts & tourist destination reinforced
Amount
- $4 Million for Arts Nonprofits
- $1 Million for Artists
Request for Applications
The City released a Request for Applications to identify individual artists and nonprofits arts organizations eligible for grant awards. The Request for Applications was open from June 29, 2022 to July 29, 2022. Evaluation and scoring of the applications took place in August 2022. Agencies were identified for proposed grant and contract awards during this process. On September 29, 2022, the City Council approved the recommended awards. Awarded grants and contracts began October 1, 2022 and will be complete by December 2026.
Community Health, Environment & Culture Committee
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Past Presentations