Boulder awards more than $1.8 million in arts industry grants

Deborah Swearingen, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo.
·2 min read

Aug. 9—Boulder in 2022 will distribute more than $1.8 million in grants meant to support local arts organizations and artists, an industry among those most impacted by the pandemic.

The annual Boulder Arts Commission funding contributes to social cohesion and supports the ongoing recovery of the city's arts and culture industry, according to a city news release.

Some $925,000 already has been awarded through the traditional grant funding process.

The majority of that money is allocated for general operating support grants, which help organizations cover administrative costs, educational programming and other day-to-day activities, the release notes.

The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Arts, the Colorado Chautauqua Association and the Dairy Arts Center are among the extra-large organizations awarded $50,000 grants.

Small organizations such as the Boulder Opera Company and the NoBo Art District were awarded $8,000 grants.

The Boulder International Film Festival, Motus Theater and Studio Arts Boulder are examples of the large organizations that won $20,000 grants, while Street Wise Arts and the Boulder Chorale are mid-size organizations that won $10,000 grants.

"We are thrilled to be able to support these local organizations and artists as they work to connect the Boulder community with the arts," Councilmember Tara Winer said in the news release. "Arts are a critical component of a thriving community, and the city is committed to continue its efforts in this area."

In addition to the regular arts grants, the arts industry this year got a $915,000 bolster from Boulder's American Rescue Plan Act funding.

The money will be used for two separate grant pools: one to employ local artists and another to support arts and culture organizations that experienced workforce impacts because of the pandemic.

"What we know is that statewide there was a low point in 2020 where the arts industry retracted by about 50% of its workforce," Office of Arts and Culture Manager Matt Chasansky said in a February City Council meeting when the grant money was allocated. "While the recovery has shown really good signs in the recent sets of data, the fact is that the arts recovery is behind the rest of the economy.

"These two are designed to specifically target this part of the economy, this gap in recovery for the arts sector," he added.

For a complete list of local organizations that won grants, visit boulderarts.org/.