Community Arts Development: Individual Artists

Overview

Project Support for Individual Artists

Welcome to the LexArts Community Arts Grant program. Community Arts Development Project Grants for Individual Artists provides support for artists to produce or present projects with an arts or cultural focus. Projects must be initiated, directed and implemented by the artist, take place in Fayette County, and include a public component. Projects may include festivals, exhibitions, readings, performances; professionally directed public art projects such as murals, temporary sculptural installations, environmental art; and planning for the redesign of existing public spaces for cultural activities.

Grant awards range from $500 - $5,000.

PROGRAM GOALS

Through its Community Arts Grant programs LexArts seeks to encourage and support activities and programs that contribute to the arts and cultural landscape of Lexington-Fayette County.

Eligibility

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Application Details

2025-2026 (FY26) Community Arts Development Grant Guidelines
Project Support for Individual Artists
Welcome to the LexArts Community Arts Grant program. Community Arts Development Project Grants for
Individual Artists provides support for artists to produce or present projects with an arts or cultural focus.
Projects must be initiated, directed and implemented by the artist, take place in Fayette County, and
include a public component. Projects may include festivals, exhibitions, readings, performances;
professionally directed public art projects such as murals, temporary sculptural installations,
environmental art; and planning for the redesign of existing public spaces for cultural activities.
Grant awards range from $500 - $5,000.
PROGRAM GOALS
Through its Community Arts Grant programs LexArts seeks to encourage and support activities and
programs that contribute to the arts and cultural landscape of Lexington-Fayette County.
LexArts grant programs are guided by its purpose to promote, enhance, and contribute to the educational,
artistic, and cultural lives of those living in Central Kentucky and to serve as a resource and supportive
agency for organizations which affect or alter the cultural climate of the community; and by its
organization values of collaboration; empowerment; innovation; generosity; inclusion, diversity and equity.
Applicants are encouraged to consider the purpose and values when developing their application.
The 2025-2026 CAD Project Grant Program for Individual Artists will fund projects taking place between
July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026.
If you have questions, please email Nathan Zamarron at nzamarron@lexarts.org.
DATES AND DEADLINES
Application Deadline Friday, February 21, 2025 at 11:59pm
Public Grant Review Wednesday, March 26, 2025 | 10 am – 1 pm
Award Notification Friday, June 20, 2025
Program period July 1, 2025 - Jun 30, 2026
Final Report Due 30 days following completion of grant period
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ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS
All applicants must document the Community Arts Project Grants for Artists will
following in order to be eligible: not fund:
• 18 years of age • Instructional programs designed only to benefit
• Lives in Fayette County students enrolled in public or private school
• Compliance with prior LexArts districts, colleges, or universities
grants and reporting • Activities/events outside Fayette County
requirements • General operating expenses
• Activities intended primarily for fundraising
• Historic preservation
• Capital expenditures for equipment, or for
facility construction or renovation
• Debt reduction, penalties, or litigation costs
• Hospitality activities including food or
beverage
• Programming or activities not available to the
general public
SCORING CRITERIA
Applications will be assessed using the following criteria:
Community (40%)
• Benefit to Community
• Target audience
• Partnerships
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Program Planning and Evaluation (40%)
• Project Description
• Marketing and Publicity
• Evaluation
• Budget
Artistic Merit (20%)
• Artistic documentation upload
• Artist resume
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FUNDING
LexArts does not require a match for CAD Project Grants; however, applicants are strongly encouraged to
seek additional funding. Additional funding demonstrates the organization’s commitment to completing the
proposed project. It also illustrates that the project is well- received by the community (e.g. individuals,
community organizations and businesses).
HOW TO APPLY
1. Review the FY26 Community Arts Individual Artist Project Grant guidelines and application.
Applicants are encouraged to contact LexArts Community Arts Manager Kay’mon Murrah at
kmurrah@lexarts.org for free technical assistance.
NOTE: The staff is not able to accept draft applications for preliminary review after February 10, 2025.
HELPFUL TIPS: Give yourself ample time to plan, write, re-write and review the application with
LexArts’ Community Arts Services staff. This includes developing the application, gathering artistic
documentation and all supplemental materials. The application process will require the dedicated
efforts of one or two individuals in your organization.
• Attend a LexArts CAD workshop and if so desired, schedule a one-on-one consultation for
additional assistance.
• Write the application narrative sections in a Word document and then cut and paste into the
online application.
• Format the narrative so that it is reader-friendly (e.g. space between paragraphs, bullets, etc.
if space permits.)
• Check and double-check your application for spelling and mathematical errors.
• Have a reader not familiar with this grant application review it for content, clarity, and budget
and other errors.
• Submit your application days before the submission deadline as technology challenges are
possible and input errors occur more often when applicants are rushed.
• When preparing the application save as you go. Although GoSmart does auto-save your
progress, please be aware that the program may time out.
2. Project Video Submission (Optional) LexArts will now accept video submissions as an integral part
of the optional preliminary application process for individual and organization project grant
consideration. This innovative approach will enable us to gain a more comprehensive understanding
of your grant request and the vision behind your project.
Upon receiving your video submission, we will schedule a meeting with you to provide personalized
coaching and guidance, ensuring the successful completion of your full application. This option is
available to all project grant applications and will not impact your score in the granting process.
Please take time to review the information below to ensure a complete video submission.
• Project Video Submission Link: https://form.jotform.com/lexarts/projectvideosubmission
• Project Video Submission Guidelines: FY26 Project Video Submission Guidelines.pdf
3. Applications are available online at lexarts.gosmart.org. You must create an individual profile to
access the applications. To begin the application, login and click on “Current
Programs and Applications.” Go to FY26 Community Arts Development Project – Individual Artists
and select “Begin Application.” Applicants who have started their applications and logged out will login
and then select “Edit.”
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4. Applicants must submit the grant application and all requested materials by February 21, 2025.
LexArts will not accept late applications or applications submitted via hard copy, email or fax.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Enter the following information in the application as indicated.
1. Applicant Information
• Applicant name
• Applicant email
2. Project Information
3. Title of Project
4. One sentence description of project
5. Funding request – CAD project grant request may not exceed $5,000
6. Start and end date (month, date) of the project. Projects must take place between 7/1/2025 and
6/30/2026)
7. New or Repeat Program – Select the appropriate designation. New Project – applicant has not
received LexArts funds for this project in the past. Repeat Project – applicant has previously
received LexArts funds for the same program.
8. Project Category - The following project categories are eligible for CAD project support. Select
the one that best describes your project.
• Cultural/Multi-Arts: Projects involving more than one art and cultural discipline (e.g.
festivals, neighborhood events, etc.)
• Youth Arts: Projects specifically targeting young people as the primary audience,
including arts education and training or participation in other kinds of arts or cultural
events, such as a public celebration or festival.
• Literary Arts: Projects involving creative writers including poets, novelists, and short-story
writers.
• Performing Arts: Projects involving the performing arts including theater, dance, and
music.
• Visual Arts: Projects involving the visual arts including painting, drawing, printmaking,
sculpture, fiber arts, crafts, film, and new media.
• Public Art: Temporary or permanent artwork in the public realm, including murals,
sculpture, interactive and community engagement projects.
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APPLICATION NARRATIVE PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Summary - Summarize your request in a few sentences. Begin your narrative with a single- sentence
description of how much money is requested and the purpose: (Your name) requests
($X) to (support/expand/etc.) the (name of program/series/event, etc.)
Project description - Provide a clear detailed description of your program. Describe the project in detail,
painting a vivid picture so panelists unfamiliar with your program can envision it. What will happen?
Where will the program take place? How will the program be implemented? If organization was awarded
program support funds in a previous year for the same program, the applicant must identify new
components or differences from prior year.
• Explain the benefit to the community.
• Identify your target audience.
• Describe your plan for publicizing your program. Describe the tools you will use to promote
your program, including public service announcements, print materials, special events, press
releases, social media, etc.
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Does this project provide an opportunity for diverse artists? Please click the question mark for
our definition of diversity.
• Do you plan to partner with any artists or organizations?
• How will you determine and measure success?
REQUIRED SUPPORT MATERIALS
The following required documents must be uploaded as either PDF or Microsoft Word files in the Upload
section of the application. Place the applicant’s name and title of document in the upper right-hand corner.
Multiple PDF can be combined into a single document.
• Resume or biographical information for project leader and/or artists
OPTIONAL SUPPORT MATERIALS
• Letters of commitment or contracts signed by proposed artists
• Letters of support – maximum of two
• Evaluation Sample
• Resume or biographical information for other key project personnel (artists, consultants,
program coordinators, etc.)
REQUIRED ARTISTIC WORK SAMPLES
Select high quality artistic documentation that clearly illustrates the merit of your work and/or the work of
the proposed artists for the project/program. All artistic support materials will be uploaded through the
online form. Applicants may submit up to two types of media for their artistic documentation with a total of
six samples. Applicants must describe documentation clearly including concise, detailed and descriptive
information.
• AUDIO / VIDEO: Panelists will review up to 5 minutes of video or audio. Indicate in the
upload description both the cue point and the description of what the panel is viewing/hearing
at the cue point. Links to material are also acceptable and can be provided via hotlink in a
PDF.
• IMAGES: Submit no more than 6 images.
• MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS: Panelists will read no more than 5 pages of material
(8.5” x 11” single sided, single spaced, saved as a PDF and uploaded.)
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GRANT REVIEW PROCESS
PHASE 1 – ELIGIBILITY
All applications will undergo an eligibility audit by the LexArts Community Arts Services staff. If an
applicant fails to meet the eligibility requirements the application will not be forwarded to the panel. The
staff makes no assessment of the review criteria.
PHASE 2 – PANEL REVIEW
LexArts relies on arts, cultural and community experts both within and outside Lexington- Fayette County
to review Community Arts grant applications. Panelists are selected based on their knowledge of an art
discipline, non-profit sector and/or community. The Community Arts Project Grants Program for Individual
Artists review process is open for observation by the public and will take place March 26, 2025 at 10 am.
Panelists review each application and provide comments on the strengths and weaknesses of the
application based on the criteria.
Following this assessment, panelists score each criterion on a 5-point scale (1 = low; 5 = high). Funding
recommendations by the panel are based on these scores.
PHASE 3 – GRANTS COMMITTEE
The Grants Committee of the LexArts Board of Directors reviews the panel’s funding recommendations
and allocates funding based on funds available.
PHASE 4 – LEXARTS BOARD APPROVAL
The Grants Committee’s recommendations are submitted to the LexArts Board of Directors for its
approval.
REQUIREMENTS AFTER FUNDING
• Grantees must sign the Grant Agreement Form and, if required, complete the Program
Revision Form. Grant Agreement Forms must be signed and returned within 30 days of
receipt.
• All grantees must attend the grantee orientation.
• If there are significant changes to the program, grantees must contact the Community Arts
Services staff for approval and the approved changes must be provided in writing.
• Grantees must acknowledge LexArts as the funding source for the project and include its
logo in print, social media platforms, websites, press releases and public presentations.
• All public activities must take place in facilities that are accessible to persons with disabilities.
• A Final Grant Report and support materials are due 30 days after the completion of the
funded program.
• By signing the application, the applicant agrees to abide by all rules set forth in these
guidelines. If an instance arises where the applicant does not complete the project for which
funds were given, the applicant agrees to refund the total grant amount received to LexArts.
ON-SITE EVALUATIONS - LexArts’ Community Arts Services staff may attend funded activities to
monitor compliance with the terms of the grant agreement.
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