Iowa City’s public arts matching grants available

Mural artists work on the mural titled "Is this heaven? No. It's the Ped Mall" at Pedestrian Mall in Iowa City on July 30, 2014. Iowa City’s Public Art Advisory Committee is taking applications through March 24 for matching grants to help pay for more public art projects around the city. (The Gazette)

IOWA CITY — Matching grants for 2023 are now available for art projects to be placed or installed in Iowa City and accessible to the public to foster creativity and continue building “The Greatest Small City for the Arts.”

The city’s Public Art Advisory Committee is offering this application period until the 11:59 p.m. March 24 deadline, according to a news release. Matching grants are available for art projects — visual, audio, or performance-based. This will be the only round offered and the only application period.

The maximum award is $3,500 which will require documented total project costs of at least $7,000, officials said. Grants for smaller projects are also available. The minimum grant is $500 for a project of at least $1,000. All projects must be completed during the calendar year 2023.

Art such as sculpture, murals, performances, interactive exhibits, video projections, soundscapes, the spoken word, and other media will all be considered, according to the news release. While all proposals will be considered, those that are functional, ephemeral, in unexpected places, or have a participatory element to them will be strong competitors.

Proposals must be for projects created by Iowa City artists that will be publicly accessible and viewable within the city limits. Art may be displayed or performed on private property with the property owner's permission.

Megan Dehner of Cedar Rapids adds a stroke to her mural "Is this heaven? No. It's the Ped Mall" at Pedestrian Mall in Iowa City on July 30, 2014. Iowa City’s Public Art Advisory Committee is taking applications for matching grants to help pay for more public art projects around the city. (The Gazette)

Grant awards will be announced the week of April 10. Projects are required to be completed by Dec. 31 of this year.

The application and additional information on selection criteria, submission requirements, eligible expenses, and other conditions for the program are available at www.icgov.org/publicart.

The Iowa City Public Art Program’s mission is to enhance public spaces, to capitalize on Iowa City’s reputation as a cultural center, and to build on Iowa City’s image as a vital place to live and work, according to program officials. By providing arts and culture programs that educate, entertain, stimulate and engage the public, Iowa City works to support the vitality of its diverse population, preserve and interpret Iowa City’s rich heritage, and enhance the desirability of Iowa City as a residence and destination.

The Public Art Advisory Committee was established to oversee the operations of the program and advise the city council on potential sites that can be enhanced by the addition of public art and also recommend various pieces of artwork.