BLOOMINGTON – The City of Bloomington Bloomington Arts Commission (BAC) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2023 Arts Project Grant Cycle. Arts Project Grants are meant to help offset costs incurred by local artists and arts groups facilitating public-facing art projects.
The Commission received 67 exceptional applications for the 2023 Arts Project Grant cycle — a record number nearly double the number of applications it has received for this cycle in the past.
All proposed projects were evaluated based on their level of artistic quality, community impact, and organizational capacity.
The following artists and organizations received funding for their projects:
- WFHB Community Radio – WFHB Local Live Remote Broadcast Series
- Reimagining Opera for Kids – Reimagining Opera for Kids presents Rufus and Rita!
- Backspace Gallery -Immersive Experiential Art exhibit
- Sobremesa Farm, LLC – Mural Design, Fabrication and Installation at Sobremesa Farm
- Monroe County Court Appointed Special Advocates – Uplifting our Children
- Indiana University Arts & Humanities Council – Indiana University Prison Arts Initiative
- Bloomington North Choirs – Commission for Bloomington North Treble Chorus
- Monroe County History Center – Connecting to Our Letterpress History
- Roses Midwest Art Gallery – Art Programming
- Bloomington Buffy – Bloomington Buffy Prom: Anti-Valentine’s Day Cover Show & Fundraiser for Reproductive Justice
- Bruna Kalil Othero – The Porn President or a Tropical Odyssey: a short film
- Kyle Quass – Bloomington Improvised Music and Film Series
- Rebecca Woodward Art Education, LLC – Open Figure Drawing Sessions for the Community
- FAR Photo Review Group – FAR Photo Review Group Exhibition 2023 – Paint Bloomington
- 2023 Paint Bloomington Event – Cicada Cinema – Film Series Programming
- PDVNCH – ‘D’OPEN-MIC
- Pictura Gallery – Pictura Kids Workshop Series and Youth Art Month Exhibition
- The People’s Market – Dyeing with Local Plants Kids Workshop
- Orbit Room – Mural on Parklet on College Ave
- Lotus Education & Arts Foundation – 30th Annual Lotus World Music & Arts Festival
- Sounds Of Indiana – Everyone In Harmony
- Writers Guild at Bloomington – Writers Guild Spoken Word Events
- Indiana Recovery Alliance – “Ending Overdose Together: Harm Reduction in Our Community” Film Series – an IU Cinema Creative Collaboration with Indiana Recovery Alliance
- Alchymy Viols – Deep River: American Spirituals My Mother Taught Me performed by Michael Walker and Alchymy Viols
- The Saint John of Damascus Society – Heaven and Earth: A Song of Creation
- Southern Indiana Wind Ensemble – Chamber Music Coaching
- Jamey Guzman – Open Heart Surgery: A New Chamber Opera
- Buskirk-Chumley Theater – BCT Summer Family Film Fest
- JCP Designs – Pretrial Justice: Reforming Our Pretrial System
- Urban Deer Recording Co. – Urban Deer Performance Series
- Kid Kazooey – Band Practice with Kid Kazooey
- Bloomington Early Music – BEMI: Bloomington Early Music Immersion
- Bloomington Symphony Orchestra – Celebrate the Season: Make Your Holidays Sparkle with the BSO!
- Visit Bloomington – Switchyard Park Thursday Night Summer Music Series
“In my second year as grants chair, I continue to be impressed by the quality and variety of the artistic production in our community. Moreover, the unprecedented growth of the number of applications we received demonstrates the importance of public funding of the arts and the strong commitment of our community to making Bloomington an artistic leader in the Midwest,” remarked Elliot Josephine Leila Reichert, chair of the Bloomington Arts Commission Grants Committee.
Each year the BAC facilitates three grant cycles, including cycles for Arts Projects, Operations, and Emerging Artists. More information regarding the 2023 grant cycles is available at bloomington.in.gov/arts/grants. Arts Commission grants are funded by the Economic and Sustainable Development Department’s General and Local Income Tax budget, as well as funds from the Bloomington Urban Economic Association.
About the Bloomington Arts Commission
Established in 1980, the Bloomington Arts Commission provides a means for the City of Bloomington to stimulate and encourage community appreciation for and participation in the arts. The City of Bloomington recognizes that the arts are an important part of the culture and economy of the community, and that the City has a responsibility to foster an environment conducive to the community’s participation in the arts. The conservation and development of the city’s artistic resources are essential to the social, educational, and economic growth of the city. Artists, works of art, and artistic institutions contribute to the quality of life and the general welfare of the citizens of Bloomington. More information is available at https://bloomington.in.gov/boards/arts.
About the Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association
The Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association (BUEA) aims to “provide the means to improve the economic, physical, and social environment for Zone residents and businesses.” The BUEA Zone is an area north, west, and south of Downtown, whose residents and businesses are eligible for scholarships, arts and business grants, and tax incentives.
