MDF Launches New Grant Program

MISSOULA DOWNTOWN FOUNDATION LAUNCHES NEW GRANT PROGRAM
FOR DOWNTOWN ARTS & CULTURE AND PLACEMAKING PROJECTS

 

The Missoula Downtown Foundation has allocated $15,000 in grant funding to support Arts & Culture and Placemaking projects in Downtown Missoula this year. Partnering Downtown property owners with local artists, the new program is focused on enhancing arts and culture and encouraging placemaking projects in the Heart of Missoula. The Downtown Arts & Culture Impact Grants utilize private resources to support the beautification, historical preservation, and general livability of Downtown Missoula.

The Arts & Culture Impact Grants provide opportunities for local artists to showcase their creativity in Downtown Missoula and encourage partnerships for art and alley activations to be consumed by the public.

“Through placemaking projects, artists can partner with Downtown businesses and property owners to creatively shape the physical and unique characteristics of Downtown Missoula,” said Dan Maronick, President of the Missoula Downtown Foundation Board of Directors.  “Large murals, public art, and historic preservation enhance the connectivity Missoulians have with Downtown and encourage people to return for new experiences. Art can transform a dark space to a place where people feel welcomed and comfortable. We are excited to be offering these grants for Downtown placemaking!”

The application period is now open for the Downtown Arts & Culture Impact Grants, and applications are accepted online at www.missouladowntown.com/missoula-downtown-foundation/grants/. The goal is to encourage grantees to partner with Downtown Missoula businesses and properties to create unique projects in the Heart of Missoula. The program will fund labor and supplies for artists or art groups to create artwork to be displayed for the public’s consumption. Individuals, art groups, schools, and non-profit organizations are encouraged to apply.

Projects are expected to be completed within 12 months and made with materials that last including graffiti coating where appropriate. The primary focus should be in the areas of arts & culture, heritage & historic preservation, alley activation, safety, livability and walkability.  Projects should align with the Downtown Master Plan, the North Riverside Parks & Trails Plan, and the Missoula Heritage Interpretive Plan.

The Arts & Culture Impact Grants are funded from private resources to create more art in Downtown and encourage placemaking projects that keep people coming back to Downtown time and time again. The Foundation will allocate up to $5,000 per partner project, and applications will be considered on a quarterly basis.

A 501c3 charitable organization, the Missoula Downtown Foundation supports placemaking projects that celebrate Missoula’s culture and heritage. The Downtown Foundation’s mission is to support and promote the spirit and heritage of Missoula through cultural, historical and economic enhancement of Downtown, now and for future Missoulians. The Foundation is a partner of the Missoula Downtown Association and the Downtown Business Improvement District under the umbrella of the Downtown Missoula Partnership.

Individuals or businesses are welcome to donate directly to the Arts & Culture Impact Grants Program.  Through gifts and grants, the Foundation Board of Directors aims to grow the funding for the program to offer more grants to artists for Downtown projects.

“We are incredibly grateful for the gifts and donations from our thoughtful community members,” said Maronick. “This new grant program will help elevate the opportunities and artists in our community.”

For more information on the Missoula Downtown Foundation and the Downtown Arts & Culture Impact Grants, contact Director of Giving Denise Higgins via phone (406-543-4238) or email ([email protected]).

 

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