Arts & Entertainment Atlanta Grant Program - 2023/24
Arts & Entertainment Atlanta (A&E Atlanta) is pleased to announce its fourth annual grant cycle to support local artists and arts organizations presenting work in Downtown Atlanta. Applicants can request grant amounts ranging from $1,000 -$10,000 for either Project Support or General Operations funding.
What is A&E Atlanta?
Arts & Entertainment Atlanta is a neighborhood activation and economic development project for Downtown Atlanta. A&E Atlanta fuses new outdoor media, local art, and advertising and funds cultural and public space programming in the city’s core. By creating light, vitality, and activity, A&E Atlanta authentically reflects the vibrancy of Atlanta as a whole.
Where can I find a list of previous grantees and their projects?
Information about previous grantees can be found here on the A&E Atlanta website.
Funding & Timeline
Project Support: Funds that are designated to a specific project carried out by an artist or organization. To be eligible for this funding, the project must take place in Downtown Atlanta.
General Operations Support: Unrestricted funds that support the general operations of an organization during the funding period. This type of grant is not available for individuals or unregistered collectives. To be eligible for this funding, the organization must have a physical presence in Downtown Atlanta.
What is the funding timeline?
A&E Atlanta Grants are awarded on an annual basis. The upcoming application cycle grants funding for projects or general operations taking place between January 1st - June 30th, 2024.
The timeline is as follows:
Tuesday, July 25th: Slideroom application open for submissions
Thursday, September 7th: Slideroom application closes
Late-October: Final selection made of all submissions
Early-November: All applicants notified of their status
Tuesday, November 14th: Mandatory onboarding orientation call for selected Grantees; morning and afternoon options
Early-December: Public announcement of 2023/2024 A&E Atlanta Grantees
Mid-December: Funding issued to Grantees
Program Requirements & Eligibility
What are the eligibility requirements to apply for an A&E Atlanta Grant?
If you have participated in an A&E Atlanta program in the last 2 years (including 2021/22 and 2022/23 Grant Program, Local Stories Curator, or Digital Exhibition Curator), you are not eligible to apply for the grant this year.
Applications to the A&E Atlanta grant program must meet eligibility criteria in each of the following three areas to be eligible for the program 1) Participant Eligibility 2) Location Eligibility and 3) Artwork Eligibility.
Eligible participants must:
- Execute an arts-based project or be an arts organization* located in Downtown Atlanta.
- Be at least twenty-one (21) years of age.
- Currently resides in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area.
- Be responsible for providing all supplies, equipment and elements necessary to fulfill its art project or program.
*Arts organizations must be registered in the State of Georgia, provide an EIN, and upload articles of incorporation to their grant application.
Eligible artwork and programming must:
- Support A&E Atlanta’s mission of community-driven arts in Downtown Atlanta.
- Project completion within six (6) months maximum from the time the grant is awarded.
- Projects must demonstrate that they will have an impact on the local arts community and contribute to the public activation and vibrancy of Downtown Atlanta.
- Artwork or programming is original work of art or composition and does not violate the copyright or others rights of any third party.
Eligible artwork and programming may:
- Be large or small in scope.
- Include new projects or furtherance of pre-existing projects or programming.
- Include operational support that advances cultural enrichment and public activations in Downtown Atlanta.
Does my project have to take place in Downtown Atlanta?
Yes, the funds allocated are specifically intended for neighborhood activation and economic development projects and organizations based in Downtown Atlanta. Downtown Atlanta is an approximately 220-block area generally bounded by North Avenue on the north, Memorial Drive on the south, Piedmont Avenue and the Downtown Connector on the east, and the Northside Drive on the west.
The Arts & Entertainment District is in the core of Downtown, bounded to the west by Northside Drive; to the north by Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard; to the east by Interstate 75/85 and Courtland Street; and to the south by Trinity Avenue. Project activations and organizations do not need to be located within the Arts & Entertainment District, but must be located within the general boundaries of Downtown Atlanta. View the Downtown Atlanta Map here.
Can I incorporate the A&E Atlanta digital signs into my project?
No. The A&E Atlanta digital signs can not be utilized for any Grant-funded projects.
If selected, what are the program participation requirements?
Participants are required to:
- Attend a virtual grantee orientation session
- Submit a finalized work plan
- Participate in a virtual mid-point check-in session
- Complete the A&E Atlanta Grant final report within 30 days after the grant period ends
Application
How do I apply?
Please review the entirety of this document before beginning the application. If eligible, submit your application via Slideroom.
Application deadline: Thursday, September 7, 2023
Application Fee: $5.00
Do I have to attend an info session?
While it is not required, it is highly recommended that applicants attend an overview session.
A&E Atlanta hosted an information session via Zoom on August 7th to answer questions from prospective applicants. A recording of the meeting is available below.
How are applications reviewed?
A panel composed of local Arts Program Administrators, Curators, and A&E Atlanta staff will review applications and make recommendations for Finalists and final Grantees. Participants will be assessed in part on their compliance with the application requirements, program guidelines, artistic merit, and other criteria as the panel deems appropriate. A&E Atlanta seeks to ensure that the excellence and diversity of artists working in a variety of artistic genres are represented in the program. Priority consideration is given to those applications that are exemplary in meeting the review criteria and foster the program’s goals of broad domestic geographic representation as well as diverse aesthetic expression.