The Arts Council of Hillsborough County has thrown down the gauntlet, announcing the opening of the grant application period to support both the emerging and the established artists among you. The Hillsborough County has a solid reason to back the arts, with the 2022 Arts & Economic Prosperity study clocking the arts industry at a cool $387 million. If you're an artist looking to level up, you might want to jump at this chance – we're talking about reimbursement grants of up to $2,000 for professional development or that shiny new equipment you've been eyeing to push your art career into the stratosphere.
Case in point, Nneka Jones, a 2023 grantee, snagged one of these PDA grants and landed herself a new laptop. "For me to have that grant, it allowed me to not only focus on my work but ensure that I have the right equipment. I was able to purchase a laptop. That helps me to project my designs when I'm doing large-scale murals, to write business contracts, [and to] help me manage my website," Jones expressed her gratitude in a statement obtained by HCFL Government Newsroom. She's been skyrocketing ever since nabbing the Emerging Artist award at the 2019 Gasparilla Festival of the Arts and her growing repertoire includes designing a TIME Magazine cover and contributing to the Disney Marvel Studios extravaganza 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever', as reported by Hillsborough County.
The application clock is ticking with a deadline set for 5 PM, on July 26. Grants are doled out beginning with the top scoring applications by the Arts Council Advisory Board members until the annual program funding evaporates. These projects must unfold between Jan. 1, 2025, and Aug. 15, 2025.
For those interested in throwing their hat in the ring, details are ripe for the picking at HillsboroughArts.org/Artist-Grants. The Arts Council isn't just about handing out checks, it's also the megaphone for the region's cultural entities and activities, driving home the narrative of the area's cultural vitality with grants, unified marketing, and relentless advocacy to ensure the local arts scene isn’t just surviving, but thriving.
