Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville announces new $600,000 artist grant program

The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville , in collaboration with the City of Jacksonville, has unveiled a new $600,000 grant program called “The Artist Grant Program: Operational Grants for Individual Artists” to support local artists in Duval County.

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The CCGJ has been a key cultural organization in Northeast Florida for over 30 years and currently manages a program that brings about $114 million in creative economic impact to the city. This new Artist Grant Program aims to boost Jacksonville’s creative sector and benefit the local economy.

Created with input from the Mayor’s Transition Committee on Arts, Culture, and Entertainment (ACE) and the City of Jacksonville, the program is designed to help local artists and make Jacksonville a better place for them to live and work.

“Arts and culture has been a priority to my administration since the get-go,” said City of Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan. “It’s no secret that Jacksonville is brimming with talent and creativity, so we are excited to be able to further support our artists - who truly exemplify the creative heart and soul of our city. Through this new program, Jacksonville-based creatives will have an even greater support system to help them to develop and showcase their talents, build a larger audience, and succeed financially. And ultimately, I hope that it will encourage them to stay here and continue to share their talents with us.”

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Diana Donovan, Executive Director of the Cultural Council, highlighted the importance of arts and culture for the city’s growth: “As champions for Jacksonville’s creative sector and vibrant cultural landscape, we believe in the transformative power of arts and culture, mutually enhancing economic growth and quality of life for our city. As we leveraged national best practices, we anticipate this program will ignite Duval County’s creative economy, while trailblazing Jacksonville as a city that acquires and retains creative talent through professional development and intentional capacity building. The Artist Grant Program will ensure that Jacksonville becomes the place for talented creatives to live, work, play and stay.”

The program will award sixty grants of $10,000 each in its first year, totaling $600,000 for artists in various fields. A panel of artists, community members, and Cultural Council board members will review the applications and announce the grant recipients by the end of 2024.

The program is open to professional artists in any medium or discipline living in Duval County, as well as creative entrepreneurs and cultural workers who support artists. The program also includes workshops on grant writing and professional development training.

Applications for the Artist Grant Program will be accepted from July 29 to August 30. For more information, visit culturalcouncil.org/artistgrant .

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