Arizona: Art Tank Invests in Crowdsourced Innovation

Arizona Art Tank is a new Arizona Commission on the Arts (ACA) initiative that harnesses the spirit of crowdsourcing to make strategic investments in arts based entrepreneurial ventures. Through the program, funded by a portion of ACA’s one-time additional budget allocation of $1 million, applicants were invited to pitch, at public and participatory Art Tank events, new ways of providing meaningful arts experiences to their communities. At each of the four Art Tank events, held in late January and early February, a panel evaluating the pitches consisted of governor-appointed commissioners and elected officials as well as local artists, arts professionals, and business leaders. Panelists looked for innovative and risk-taking proposals and awarded those that stretch beyond conventional, day-to-day practices. The five pitches receiving the highest panel scores won, respectively, grants of $10,000, $7,000, $6,000, $5,000 and $4,000. Because Art Tanks were designed to be fun, engaging, inspiring and supportive, Art Tank audiences also voted on the proposals, awarding their favorite with $500. In the end, the biggest prize might be the potential of crowd-encouraged innovation. Find out more from ACA Artist Services Coordinator Jessica Rajko.