February 10, 2012

Connecticut: Arts-Based Place Making Grants

The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA), which became a division of the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) in 2011, has announced a new focus on arts based place making. Starting in July 2013, COA will integrate six of its current grant programs (Arts Presentation, Creative Collaboration, Artists Fellowships, Arts Project Support, General Operating Support and the Local Arts Agency Program) into a single program emphasizing arts based place making. The new program will be funded at a significantly higher level ($3.2 million) than the programs that it will replace ($1.6 million).

The new place-making grants will leverage the assets of the creative sector—artists, arts and culture organizations, arts-related business—to improve economic conditions and quality of life in Connecticut communities. Cross-sector collaborative initiatives between arts organizations and other sectors of the community will be encouraged. Criteria for the new program’s funding will be developed with input from the public. DECD and COA are hosting a series of five public forums across the state to gather feedback and ideas.

The program will attempt to document success quickly. In the words of DECD Deputy Commissioner Christopher “Kip” Bergstrom in a Hartford Business Journal interview, “Great art makes great places. Great places attract great talent. Great talent creates great jobs. If we can prove this connection, we can significantly increase annual arts funding.” For more information, contact Connecticut Director of Culture and State Historic Preservation Officer David Bahlman.