To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
From: Maia Yates, Special Project Analyst
Title
Discussion/Direction: Proposed Town of Castle Rock Art and Culture Annual Grant Program
Body
________________________________________________________________________________
Executive Summary
In 2024, Town Council directed staff and the Public Art Commission to develop a process by which interested individuals and organizations may apply for and be awarded grants for public art and cultural programs.
The Public Art Commission has since worked to develop a proposed Art and Culture Grant Program, which is outlined in Attachment A. This program aims to support vibrant art and culture initiatives to enrich the community and foster local creativity and would be implemented annually if approved.
The proposed Art and Culture Grant Program will be funded through the Public Art Fund and offer three grant types:
• Art and Culture Program Grants
These grants aim to foster a thriving arts and culture scene by supporting a diverse range of programming initiatives. Eligible programs may include workshops and classes, community events, performances and productions, educational programming, public engagement, or other creative endeavors that align with the community’s cultural goals, including historical, theatrical, literary and musical opportunities.
Up to five $10,000 grants will be awarded to eligible nonprofit 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6) organizations providing art and culture programs in Castle Rock.
• Art and Culture Project Grants
These grants are intended to enrich Castle Rock’s cultural landscape by supporting creative initiatives that deliver a strong visual, experiential or cultural impact. These grants are well-suited for projects that introduce artistic innovation, celebrate cultural identity or foster community engagement in public or shared spaces. Eligible projects may include mural installations, sculpture displays, light art, artistic enhancements to infrastructure, historical monuments, placemaking signage and cultural and historical exhibitions.
Up to five $5,000 grants will be awarded to eligible nonprofit 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6) organizations, local businesses, units of government, public libraries and artists.
• Art and Culture Educator Grants
These grants are designed to integrate art and cultural experiences into classrooms and educational settings. The goal is to inspire creativity, promote cultural and historical understanding and enrich student learning. Funding may be used to support a variety of initiatives, including the purchase of art supplies and materials, the purchase of specialized tools for advanced or media-specific projects, classroom-based or schoolwide art and culture initiatives or events, collaborative art pieces for display in shared spaces, interdisciplinary programs combining art with subjects like science, literature, or music, student-created public art projects, school exhibitions highlighting artistic or cultural expression and hands-on workshops or interactive learning.
Up to 10 grants of up to $1,000 each will be awarded to eligible schools in Castle Rock, including public and private institutions, and homeschool educators serving pre-k through high school.
All funded initiatives must take place within the Town’s jurisdiction and align with community goals for inclusion, creativity and community enhancement. A review panel with representation from Town staff and the Public Art Commission will review applications using a rubric to ensure fair and consistent evaluation to make grant award recommendations to Town Council. All final grant awards will be approved by Town Council.
Applicants must demonstrate a capacity to successfully plan and execute the proposed initiative and provide a clear, realistic budget that outlines how grant funds will be used to achieve project or program goals.
When necessary, applicants must submit partnership letters or letters of intent from landowners and project collaborators to demonstrate site access and community support for proposed projects.
Staff is proposing launching this effort this year, according to the following approximate schedule annually thereafter:
• May 2025: Applications open (pending grant program approval)
• July 18, 2025: Application deadline
• August 2025: Review period
• September 2025: Final award recommendations presented to Council
• September through October 2025: Funding distributed
• July 1, 2026: Project completion deadline
• July 15, 2026: Reports due from grant awardees on program/project execution and impact summary
Notification and Outreach Efforts
Town staff will work the Communications Division and Public Art Commission to ensure broad awareness of this new program, if it is approved.
Budget Impact
The proposed Art and Culture Grant Program will be funded through the Public Art Fund.
|
Grant type |
Grant awards |
Total |
|
Art and Culture Program Grants |
5 grants of up to $10,000 |
$50,000 |
|
Art and Culture Project Grants |
5 grants of up to $5,000 |
$25,000 |
|
Art and Culture Educator Grants |
10 grants of up to $1,000 |
$10,000 |
|
|
|
$85,000 |
Proposed Motion
“I move to direct staff to implement the Art and Culture Grant Program as proposed.”
Alternate motions
“I move to direct to staff to implement the Art and Culture Grant Program with the following modifications….”
Or
“I move to continue this item to the Town Council meeting on _____ date to allow additional time to (list information needed).”
Attachments
Attachment A - Draft Art and Culture Annual Grant Program