Folk and Traditional Arts Project Grant

Funder: Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade

The Folk and Traditional Arts Project Grant, offered by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, aims to celebrate and preserve Colorado's cultural heritage through folk and traditional arts. This grant fosters community well-being, cultural identity, and economic vitality.

Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade
The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) creates a positive business climate that encourages dynamic economic development and sustainable job growth. We advance the state’s economy through financial and technical programs under the leadership of the Governor and Executive Director.
Colorado Creative Industries
Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) believes in the power of creativity to inspire human connections, create social change, and support economic vibrancy throughout Colorado. We focus on strengthening the vitality of visual, performing, and literary arts through promotion, resources, and funding opportunities.
The creative economy subgroups are design, film and media, literary and publishing, performing arts, visual arts and design, and heritage.
Program Summary
The Folk and Traditional Arts Project Grant is dedicated to celebrating, documenting, and preserving Colorado’s cultural heritage through folk and traditional arts. It aims to enhance community well being, encompassing belonging, cultural identity, economic vitality, and sense of place. This initiative includes two funding opportunities:
Funding for the creation, presentation, or teaching of folk and traditional arts.Funding for documenting folk or traditional arts and cultural heritage through the creation of community archiving, oral histories, or photojournalism, video or other creative and or documentary works.
Funding Amount: $3,000. The Colorado Creative Industries Folk and Traditional Arts Grant may be used to fully fund a project.

Eligibility

An applicant must meet the following criteria:
Applicants: Community representatives, individual artists, collectives, or organizations based in Colorado.Residency and Age: Must be a Colorado resident, at least 18 years old.Community Involvement: The project should be led by or engage members of the community whose traditions are being presented or documented. To make your application as strong as possible, be explicit about who will be leading and engaged in activities and why this artform is relevant to them.Payments: To individuals (not businesses), 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, units of state or local government, institutions of higher education, or Federally-recognized Indian tribal governments. Grants are taxable income.Applicants may apply using a fiscal sponsor. Associated costs should not be more than 10% of the funding request.For this program, Colorado Creative Industries is looking for projects with completion dates by June 30, 2026
Eligible Individual Subrecipients:
Awards to individuals may include funding for the creation, presentation, or teaching of folk and traditional arts projects and or funding for documenting folk or traditional arts and cultural heritage through the creation of community archiving, oral histories, or photojournalism. This is considered a stipend to the artist/individual for the work undertaken and completed.
Eligible Organizational Subrecipients:
501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, units of state or local government, institutions of higher education, or Federally-recognized Indian tribal governments are eligible to receive funds sub awarded through an Arts Endowment award.
Additional Requirements:
All works must comply with State CCI Terms and Conditions and State Procurement ConditionsDocumentary works and or visuals from the creative project must be made available for submission to the online digital Archives, a joint collaboration between Colorado Creative Industries, Colorado State Archives, and History Colorado. Applicants will be required to obtain release forms from individuals documented through their project and submit these release forms with their final report.Acknowledgment of Colorado Creative Industries' support in materials.
Eligible CostsAwards to individuals must be used solely as an artist and or individual fee/stipend for the grantee to carry out the specific project/activity. The cost of materials and supplies to carry out the project, as well as providing presentations, workshops, and research with tangible outcomes required by the project are allowable and considered part of the artist fee or stipend.