Grants & Opportunities
The Madison Arts Commission (MAC) provides funding through:
Annual Grant Program
Grant Applications for 2024 closed March 1.
All annual grant programs use the same guidelines, application, and final report:
| Annual Grant Program Guidelines |
Help with Grant Writing
Successful projects do one or more of the following:
1. Engage Madison residents in arts & culture
2. Expand an artists body of work or reach in the community
3. Provide an opportunity for the community to take part in the creative process
4. Support co-curricular and extra-curricular arts activities in PK-12th grade
5. Reach diverse, under-served students in PK-12th grade
6. Celebrate the identity of a specific ethnicity, organization, neighborhood, or community
- Performances
- Exhibitions
- Installations
- Educational programs
- Workshops
Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations apply on their own. Individuals, teams, or neighborhood groups apply through a nonprofit. A large part of the project must be free. Arts education projects must be free, or funds must support free participation.
MAC honors organizations with successful projects that are an important to our community. Eligible projects have received funding in three of the last six years. MAC provides modest grants to support free or reduced-cost programs. Legacy grants are not guaranteed.
MAC celebrates the contributions of artists of all disciplines. Artists can apply to create new work, complete work in progress, or pay for professional development.
Eligibility: Professional artists who live in Madison. MAC prefers projects with a public event such as:
- Workshop
- Performance
- Exhibition
- Presentation
Art in Public Places (AIPP)
AIPP funds public art projects with artistic-merit that last 10 or more years.
Eligibility:
- Madison neighborhood associations
- Nonprofit organizations
- City of Madison agencies
Individual artists or groups must partner with one of the above.
| AIPP Grant Summary |
| Sample Contract |
BLINK Temporary Public Art Commissions
BLINK supports temporary public art in Madison. MAC invites artists to propose temporary works in unsuspecting places in the community. Artists should propose ideas that are modest in cost, yet unique, bold and ambitious. We commission projects for up to $1,500. Projects must be accessible to the public.
Artists can apply for a BLINK commission at any time. MAC will review applications submitted February - April in May. MAC may consider proposals outside the city if the project would benefit the artist & the City.
| BLINK Guidelines |
| BLINK Application |
Calls for Artists
MAC issues calls for art for public art projects, exhibitions, and other opportunities. Staff will post all open calls below. We invite you to register for the Madison Arts Updates email list here to stay up to date on calls.
Artists At Work Creative Workforce Development Grant
In 2023 MAC awarded $450,000 to arts organizations to generate, reinstate, or create arts jobs. Artists at Work was funded by an American Rescue Plan grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). MAC awarded Grants of $10,000, $15,000, and $25,000 to the following organizations:
- Arts & Literature Laboratory Inc - Public Programs Coordinator
- Bayview Foundation Inc - Placemaking and Community Arts Specialist
- UW Madison [UW Community Arts Collaboratory Teaching Artist] - Arts Collab Teaching Artist
- Center for Black Excellence and Culture Inc - Director of Visual and Performing Arts
- Dane Arts Mural Arts Inc - Executive Director
- GEEX Inc - Social Media Intern
- IP Ministries Inc - Arts Administration Assistant
- Kanopy Dance Theatre Inc - Company Dancer and Outreach Teacher
- LunART Inc - Operations Manager
- Madison Ballet Inc - Artistic Director
- Madison Children's Museum Inc - Summer Outreach Coordinator
- Madison Circus Space Inc - Circus Arts Programs Coordinator
- Madison College, School of Business and Applied Arts - Exhibition Coordinator
- Madison Contemporary Dance Inc - Artistic Director
- Madison Public Library Foundation Inc - Wisconsin Book Festival Communications Creative
- Madison Youth Choirs Inc - Director of Education & Community Programs
- Make Music Madison Inc - Musician-in-Residence
- Overture Center Foundation Inc - Lullaby Project Lead Teaching Artist & Community Facilitator
- Preschool of the Arts Inc - Art Specialist
- Synergy Ventures Foundation Inc - Artist at Synergy
- Urban Community Arts Network Ltd - Artistic Innovation Coordinator
- Wisconsin Academy of Sciences Arts & Letters Inc - Exhibitions Coordinator
Contact
Madison Arts Commission
Madison Municipal Building
Department of Planning & Community & Economic Development
215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Suite 017
P.O. Box 2985
Madison, WI 53701-2985
madisonarts@cityofmadison.com
Grantee Forms
Annual Grants Revision Report
Project Evaluation Report
List Project Evaluators
Annual Grants Final Report Form - Airtable Form
Annual Grants Final Report Form - PDF for preparation ONLY
Budget Template
Grantees must use the Wisconsin Arts Board logo & the Madison Arts Commission logo in all promotional materials.