Purpose
To respond to industry-specific, COVID-related workforce impacts through targeted grants to Boulder-based organizations. This grant is a hiring incentive for nonprofits to employ Boulder-based visual, performing, and literary artists to perform, or create new work. This grant is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
The creative industries represent approximately 10% of the workforce in Boulder (WESTAF Creative Vitality Snapshot for the City of Boulder, 2017). This sector was disproportionately impacted by the pandemic; one study by Colorado State University and Colorado Creative Industries estimates that, state-wide, the industry retracted by about one decade of growth in workforce and revenue (2020 Colorado Creative Economy Report, 15-17).
Details
Total Funds: $54,000
Awards: 18 grants at $3,000 each. The costs of hiring a Boulder-based artist for exhibition or performance.
Cycle: Three rounds awarding 6 grants each cycle.
Decision Timelines
Round one
Monday, April 3 – Grant opens
Friday, May 5 at 11:59 p.m. – Deadline for applications
May 5 to May 12 – Staff reviews applications for eligibility
Friday, May 12 – Staff uses Picker Wheel website to select 6 awardees randomly from the applicants. This is recorded for transparency. Grantees are alerted via email and are announced at the next meeting of the Boulder Arts Commission following the deadline.
Watch the Round One decisions here.
Round two
Monday, June 5 – Grant opens
Friday, July 7 at 11:59 p.m. – Deadline for applications
July 7 to 14 – Staff reviews applications for eligibility
Friday, July 14 – Staff uses Picker Wheel website to select 6 awardees randomly from the applicants. This is recorded for transparency. Grantees are alerted via email and are announced at the next meeting of the Boulder Arts Commission following the deadline.
Watch the Round Two decisions here.
Round three
Monday, August 28 – Grant opens
Friday, September 29 at 11:59 p.m. – Deadline for applications
September 29 to October 6 – Staff reviews applications for eligibility
Friday, October 6 – Staff uses Picker Wheel website to select 6 awardees randomly from the applicants. This is recorded for transparency. Grantees are alerted via email and are announced at the next meeting of the Boulder Arts Commission following the deadline.
Review Process
Deliberation and evaluation of applications. Artist Hiring Incentive Grants are selected lottery-style to those who have met all the requirements of application. Staff may take applications to the Arts Commission for review should they have questions. Awards are announced at the next meeting of the Boulder Arts Commission following the deadline.
Appeals Process
Written Appeals Process. The deadline for a written appeal is 14 days after funding decisions has been made by the Boulder Arts Commission. The appeals process can be found here.
Reporting
Grant report forms are on the Boulder Arts Commission grants software. Log in with the same user name and password utilized to submit the application. After logging in, go to the ‘Dashboard’, then you’ll see a ‘Follow Up’ section for the grant. On the far right is the ‘Edit’ button. That will take you to complete the final report.
After you submit the report you’ll receive email confirmation and copy of the report via the email that you have included in the report. Contact Lauren Click at clickl@bouldercolorado.gov or 720-564-2355 if you do not receive email confirmation.