For Immediate Release
August 21, 2025

Contact
Steve Wilcox
602-771-6536
swilcox@azarts.gov

State Invests $2.5 Million in Nonprofit Arts & Culture Sector

A one-time legislative appropriation of $2 million in support of Arizona’s arts and culture sector is reaching communities throughout the state with today’s announcement of grants awarded to nonprofit organizations, festivals, and arts learning programs.

On August 21, 2025, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, an agency of the State of Arizona, announced 375 grant awards totaling $2,545,273. Grants were awarded to a diverse array of organizations and programs spread across the state, from a community theater in Bullhead City to a pottery festival in Douglas, from world-class museums to after-school arts programs.

“The arts are an essential expression of Arizona’s vibrant communities and diverse cultures,” said Christina You-sun Park, Executive Director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts. “Through the Arts Commission the State invests in a thriving statewide nonprofit arts sector that drives local economies, contributes to the vibrance and livability of our communities, enhances the education of our young people, and promotes the health and well-being of our residents.”

A full list of grantees and their awards can be found at https://azarts.gov/grants/grantees-fiscal-year-2026/

Grant Categories

Creative Capacity Grants
• Designed to provide general operating support to arts and culture organizations of all sizes whose primary mission is to produce, present, teach, or serve the arts. This year, 259 organizations were awarded Creative Capacity Grants in amounts ranging from $800 to $24,000. Award amounts are based on the organization’s size and their application’s performance in the competitive review process.

Festival Grants
• Support organizations in their efforts to provide quality arts and cultural programming through community festival activities. Grant awards range from $2,000 to $5,000 with 69 arts festivals receiving grants in this round of funding.

Lifelong Arts Engagement Grants and Youth Arts Engagement Grants
• These programs support projects that foster meaningful arts learning experiences. Lifelong Arts Engagement Grants target community-based projects for adult learners of any age, while Youth Arts Engagement Grants focus on programs for young people ages 24 and under that occur outside of traditional school hours. Between the two programs, 47 arts engagement programs received grants of up to $5,000.

Application and Review Process

In accordance with the Arts Commission’s strategic plan and governing statutes, applicants are awarded grants based on factors such as organizational capacity, public benefit, and fiscal practices. Grant applications are reviewed through a rigorous and open panel process, chaired by Governor-appointed Commissioners and composed of community leaders, educators, arts administrators, and working artists from rural, urban, and suburban areas throughout Arizona.

Funding the Arts in Arizona

Positioned as a one-time appropriation from the State’s General Fund, the $2 million appropriated to the Arts Commission for Fiscal Year 2026 augments the agency’s most reliable funding streams:
• The Arts Trust Fund, which contributes an average of $1.2 million to the agency’s annual budget.
• A state partnership grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, contributing approximately $1 million on average.
• A $50,000 grant from the Flinn Foundation dedicated to arts festivals in rural and remote Arizona.
• Funding from the Burton Family Foundation that supports 11 arts learning programs for young people in rural communities.

Looking to the Future

In anticipation of the agency’s 60th anniversary in 2027, the Arts Commission’s staff and board are engaged in an extensive strategic planning process to shape the next five years of the agency’s work. In the first phase of this process, over 1,000 Arizonans provided feedback through a public input survey and listening sessions held in 19 communities, including Kingman, Nogales, Prescott, Safford, and Tuba City. The second phase will involve topic-specific focus groups examining the challenges and opportunities facing Arizona’s arts sector. Early in 2026, the agency will transition to the final phase by drafting and submitting a strategic plan for public review. More information on the strategic planning process and ways to get involved is available at https://azarts.gov/azartsgps/

About the Arizona Commission on the Arts

The Arizona Commission on the Arts, one of 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies across the United States, has been a leader in the creative and professional development of Arizona’s arts sector for 58 years. Through robust programs, research initiatives, and strategic grantmaking, the Commission catalyzes arts-based partnerships that strengthen communities across the state.

We imagine an Arizona where everyone can participate in and experience the arts.

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