Mesa Arts Center (MAC) Creative Economy Fund

City of Mesa Department of Arts and Culture

Agency: Local

GrantWatch ID #143865

Grant Description

Grants of up to $5,000 to Arizona nonprofit organizations for community arts projects that benefit residents in eligible locations. Interested applicants must contact program staff prior to submitting an application. Funding is intended to encourage organizations to host arts events, projects, and activities by offering reduced licensing rates at an arts center in the downtown area. Funded activities must serve the communities of Mesa and East Valley.

As part of a larger initiative to further activate the urban center of Mesa, to increase the growing number and variety of offerings at the Mesa Arts Center (MAC) in downtown Mesa, and to continue to build an environment of creativity and discovery in the downtown district, the Creative Economy Fund in-kind grant program is being continued. The intent of this program is:

To provide support to professional and semi-professional organizations who use or wish to use the MAC venues;
To bring new cultural offerings to the Mesa and East Valley communities; and
To encourage new organizations to experience presenting or producing an event at the MAC, in order to form new partnerships and relationships among and across cultural organizations in the region.

Applicants may submit proposals requesting a reduction of licensing fees for the use of Mesa Arts Center theaters, Studios or Shadow Walk, or Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum lecture hall or courtyard for the purpose of presenting quality arts programs for the Mesa community and region. Projects may include, but are not limited to, the following:

A concert or series of concerts
A theater, dance, or spoken word production
A collaborative or interactive community art project
A festival
A workshop or class(es) in the visual or performing arts
A multidisciplinary project.

Applicants that received an award for the 2021‐2022 fiscal year and are applying for the 2022‐2023 fiscal year must include, as part of the project for which support is requested, a community engagement, education or audience development activity or initiative, and are strongly encouraged to expand on previous efforts of these kinds. Examples of activities that fulfill this requirement include workshops, audience talk-backs, lecture-demonstrations, school or community-based performances or outreach activities, discount ticket offers, ticket giveaways to low-income or underserved audiences, and special promotions that reach new audiences, although this is by no means an exhaustive list. Creativity in responding to this requirement is encouraged, and a thoughtful plan will increase the likelihood of receiving support.

For Review Criteria, see https://www.mesaartscenter.com/download.php/get-involved/downloads/22-23-creative-economy-fund-application#page=4.

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Eligibility:

Others (see text field entitled "Additional Eligibility Criteria" for clarification)

Additional Eligibility Criteria:

Applicants must be a non-profit, Arizona-based 501(c)(3) organization. While arts and culture organizations are strongly encouraged to apply, other non-profit organizations that are offering arts programming to the public are also welcome to apply.

Non-profit organizations whose tax-exempt status is pending may apply one time only through a non-profit fiscal sponsor. A letter from the fiscal sponsor must accompany the application.

If you apply to both the Creative Economy Fund program and the Arts at the Center program and are awarded both, you will need to choose to receive one or the other award but cannot accept both. You will not be eligible to receive support through both programs.

The amount requested can cover base license fees only (cost for facility use); all production, front-of-house, or ticketing fees that are not included as part of the licensing fee will not be eligible for funding, but must be included as expenses in the project budget. Marketing services will not be provided as part of this support (though all projects taking place at Mesa Arts Center will be included as calendar listings on MAC’s website and promoted on their digital marquees).

The events held at the Mesa Arts Center through the Creative Economy Fund cannot be fundraising events or promoted as such by the presenting/producing organization, whether for the applicant's own or another organization or cause.

Pre-Application Information:

Timeline:
- May 6, 2022 (by 5:00 p.m.): Application due date
- May 9-13, 2022: Applications reviewed by a community panel; recommendations made
- By May 26, 2022: Recommendations are reviewed and endorsed by the Museum and Cultural Advisory Board
- By May 31, 2022: Applicants are notified of the outcome of their proposal
- June 30, 2023: Projects must be completed
- July 31, 2023: 2022-23 Final Report due

As a requirement of the application, you must discuss calendar availability and cost estimates with Mesa Arts Center’s Event Services Team prior to developing your budget. You are also required to attach a copy of your event estimate from Event Services in your application. Please do not wait until the final week for submission to contact Event Services, as staff could be unavailable to do last-minute calculations. Once you know your project and have selected a date, contact her immediately.

Organizations may submit only one application for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

For information about the Mesa Arts Center: https://www.mesaartscenter.com/

Additional Funding Information:

Number of Grants:

Up to six

Estimated Size of Grant:

Amounts requested for licensing reduction may not exceed the total amount being paid in facility licensing fees.

Funding awarded to any one organization will not exceed $5,000, and for most applicants is unlikely to exceed $2,500.

Term of Contract:

The proposed projects must take place between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023.

Contact Information:

Apply online: https://www.mesaaz.gov/things-to-do/arts-culture/creative-economy-fund

Or email applications to Sarah.Goedicke@mesaartscenter.com

Or mail to:
Creative Economy Fund
Office of the Director
PO Box 1466
Mesa, AZ 85211-1466

Direct questions to Sarah Goedicke at the email address above or call
480.644.6607.

Mesa Arts Center
1 East Main Street
Mesa, AZ 85201