To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
From: Maia Yates, Special Project Analyst
Title
Discussion/Direction of Applications for the 2026-2027 Art and Culture Grant Program
Body
________________________________________________________________________________
Executive Summary
A grant panel consisting of members of the Public Art Commission and Town staff is presenting a discussion and direction item to Town Council for the recommendation of application approvals for the 2026-2027 Art and Culture Grant Program.
Funded through the Public Art Fund, the Town of Castle Rock’s annual Art and Culture Grant Program supports vibrant art and culture initiatives that enrich the community and foster creativity. The program provides funding to nonprofit organizations, businesses, government agencies, artists and educators to enhance Castle Rock’s cultural landscape through innovative programming, projects and educational opportunities.
Three grant categories are available:
• Art and Culture Program Grants - up to five grants of up to $10,000 each to support workshops, classes, performances, events and educational programming
• Art and Culture Project Grants - up to five grants of up to $5,000 each to support visual or experiential public art installations
• Art and Culture Educator Grants - up to ten grants of up to $1,000 each to support art and cultural education initiatives in schools or other educational formats
For the 2026-2027 grant cycle, 16 applications were received. Following a detailed review and scoring process, the panel recommends approval of 14 applications. Applications were reviewed by a panel composed of Public Art Commission members, Town staff and a Councilmember. The panel assessed proposals based on criteria including community impact, artistic and cultural merit, feasibility, organizational capacity and budget justification. Common concerns among the remaining applications included insufficient alignment with grant category requirements, lack of finalized project details and concerns regarding long-term project impact and value relative to the funding requested.
2026-2027 grant recommendations for approval include the following applicants, each representing a strong alignment with the Town’s goals of fostering creativity, accessibility and community engagement through art and cultural programming:
• Amy Fleet - Educator Grant ($790)
Amy Fleet’s “From Paper to Pixel” workshop series will provide students with instruction in both traditional drawing and digital illustration techniques. Funding will support art supplies, digital tools and instructional materials used to teach participants how to develop artwork from sketch concepts into finished digital pieces.
• Andrew Wasson - Project Grant ($5,000)
Andrew Wasson will complete a wing sculpture installation designed to enhance a community gathering space and create an interactive artistic feature for residents and visitors at Wild Blue Yonder.
• Ben Henry - Project Grant ($5,000)
Ben Henry will complete the “Windows to Nature” mural project near Lost Coffee, creating a nature-inspired mural intended to enhance the surrounding area and contribute to Castle Rock’s local arts environment.
• Brandon Stover - Educator Grant ($1,000)
Brandon Stover will use grant funding to purchase a Japanese taiko drum to enhance classroom music instruction and provide students with hands-on exposure to percussion performance and Japanese cultural music traditions.
• Castle Rock Christian Academy - Educator Grant ($1,000)
Castle Rock Christian Academy will use grant funding to purchase creative fabrication and cutting tools to support hands-on student art and design projects involving cardboard construction, model making and collaborative creative learning activities.
• Heidi Mossman - Project Grant ($5,000)
Heidi Mossman will complete a wing sculpture installation designed to enhance a community gathering space and create an interactive artistic feature for residents and visitors at Life at Home.
• Kat Thomas - Project Grant ($5,000)
Kat Thomas will complete a mural project designed to enhance a visible community space and contribute to Castle Rock’s local arts environment.
• KC Neel - Project Grant ($5,000)
KC Neel will create and install a public mural intended to add visual interest and artistic character to a community facing location within Castle Rock.
• Castle Rock Orchestra - Program Grant ($500)
Castle Rock Orchestra will use grant funding to support a community music program and performance opportunity for local residents and musicians.
• Melanie Schambach - Project Grant ($5,000)
Melanie Schambach’s “Everyone is an Artist” project will create an interactive public art installation near the Cantril School Building featuring a community chalkboard wall, rotating mini art gallery and free art supply exchange designed to encourage hands-on creativity, artistic participation and community engagement for residents of all ages.
• Samantha Sobas/COF33 - Project Grant ($5,000)
Samantha Sobas, in collaboration with local artist Matt Rinn, will install the “Rooted in Castle Rock” sculpture at COF33. The large-scale tree-inspired metal sculpture is designed to transform a highly visible downtown planter into a permanent artistic feature that reflects Colorado’s natural landscape and encourages community interaction and gathering in the downtown area.
• Castle Rock Police K9 Association - Project Grant ($5,000)
The Castle Rock Police K9 Association will install the “Sit, Stay, Heal” bronze sculpture near the Castle Rock Police Department to honor police therapy dogs, service animals and the connection between dogs and the community. The sculpture will be incorporated into a planned public seating area near Perry Street and Second Street in downtown Castle Rock.
• Castle Rock Band - Program Grant ($4,900)
Castle Rock Band will use grant funding to support its free public concert series, including seasonal and patriotic performances that provide accessible live music opportunities for Castle Rock residents and visitors throughout the year.
• Tri Arts Project (TAP) - Program Grant ($10,000)
Tri Arts Project (TAP) will use grant funding to support expanded arts programming at Cantril School, including teen performing arts workshops, senior living outreach classes, community exhibitions and accessible creative opportunities for Castle Rock residents and local artists.
Following Town Council direction, staff will coordinate grant agreements and project implementation with approved recipients. Programs and projects funded through the 2026-2027 grant cycle must be completed by Dec. 31, 2027, with final reports due Jan. 15, 2028. Several funded initiatives and installations are anticipated to be publicly visible as early as 2026. The Public Art Commission and Town staff will also continue evaluating and refining the Art and Culture Grant Program process, including applicant outreach, educational resources and program guidance, to support successful projects and encourage broad community participation in future grant cycles.
Budget Impact
Funding for the 2026-2027 Art and Culture Grant Program will be drawn from the Public Art Fund.
|
Applicant |
Requested Amount |
Recommended Amount |
|
Amy Fleet |
$790 |
$790 |
|
Andrew Wasson |
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
|
Ben Henry |
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
|
Brandon Stover |
$1,000 |
$1,000 |
|
Castle Rock Christian Academy |
$1,000 |
$1,000 |
|
Heidi Mossman |
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
|
Kat Thomas |
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
|
KC Neel |
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
|
Castle Rock Orchestra |
$500 |
$500 |
|
Melanie Schambach |
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
|
Samantha Sobas/COF33 |
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
|
Castle Rock Police K9 Association |
$10,000 |
$5,000 |
|
Castle Rock Band |
$4,900 |
$4,900 |
|
Tri Arts Project |
$10,000 |
$10,000 |
|
Total |
$63,190 |
$58,190 |
Panel Recommendation
The grant review panel recommends that Town Council approve the fourteen applications listed above for the 2026-2027 Art and Culture Grant Program.
Proposed Motion
“I move to approve the grant awards as presented.”
Alternate Motions
“I move to approve the grant awards with the following conditions:” (list conditions)
“I move to continue this item to the Town Council meeting on [date], at [time].”
Attachments
Attachment A - Applications