May 11 Application Deadline

Local businesses interested in hiring a Durham artist for public art installations on their properties should apply now for a new City of Durham grant program.

The City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development and Cultural Advisory Board are seeking applications for the Public Art for Business Grants Program, which funds Durham businesses to commission an artist who lives or works in Durham County to create a publicly visible work of art for their business location, including performance or participatory art. The program will provide matching reimbursable grants up to $1,500 to be awarded through a competitive application process governed by the Cultural Advisory Board. Grant awardees must provide a minimum one-to-one match (i.e. one recipient dollar for every one grant dollar) and completed applications must be submitted by May 11, 2018.

"This grant program is especially useful to foster mutually supportive working relationships between local businesses and local artists,” said Cultural Advisory Board Chair Dan Ellison. “Our amazing, creative local artists make Durham distinctive, and we want to encourage our local businesses to financially support their work by bringing public art to their premises for their customers and employees to enjoy.”

The program is funded by the Durham Cultural Master Plan, a joint program of the City of Durham and Durham County approved by the Durham City Council and Durham County Board of Commissioners in 2004. The Cultural Advisory Board and the City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development are implementing this grant program as a part of the Master Plan’s goal of building the capacity of Durham’s existing cultural organizations, events, festivals, and artists.

Applications and full program guidelines can be found on the Public Art for Business Grants Program webpage. Artists and other stakeholders who would like to be notified of current and future art-related opportunities and news can now sign up for alerts through the Cultural and Public Art mailing list.

Businesses and artists interested in more information may also contact Senior Economic Development Coordinator Brian Smith with the City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development at (919) 560-4965, ext. 15205 or [email protected].