Iowa: Arts Build Communities

Arts Build Communities is a year-long pilot program the Iowa Arts Council (IAC) is launching in July to support arts projects that uniquely address civic challenges and community issues. The catalyst of the pilot—which IAC is conducting in collaboration with the Iowa State University College of Design and the University of Iowa’s Office of Outreach and Engagement—is the recognition that many Iowan communities face complex problems best addressed by the interdisciplinary approaches of cross-sector partnerships. Artists and arts leaders, creative and innovative by vocation, are primed to help public agencies and community groups work on health, transportation, environmental, social justice and other social-impact issues. The new pilot program will support arts based efforts responding to specific community needs by providing technical assistance from IAC staff, the universities’ faculty and staff, and, on a case-by-case basis, their graduate and undergraduate students. In addition, program participants will be eligible to receive up to $10,000 in grant funding from IAC to cover artist fees, materials and supplies, marketing costs, and other project expenses. Artists, nonprofits, K-12 school districts, and county, municipal and tribal governments are all eligible to take part in the Arts Build Communities program. Find out more from IAC Grants & Programs Specialist Veronica O’Hern.