Application Review

Open Call for Projects: ArtPlace staff and external reviewers (nationally representative professionals with significant experience in the arts, community-based work, and creative placemaking) review responses to the open call and make recommendations as to which projects should be invited to submit full proposals.

Full Proposal Phase: Projects invited to submit a full proposal receive a site visit from an ArtPlace representative. The full proposals and site visit reports are considered by ArtPlace staff and external reviewers, who make recommendations as to which projects should be funded. ArtPlace’s foundation partners also make recommendations and provide technical assistance throughout the review process. ArtPlace America’s Executive Director will ultimately authorize the grants that will be made.

Evaluation Criteria

The following criteria are utilized to evaluate each project.

The project:

1. Is (or has a plan to be) integrated into a larger set of strategies seeking to strengthen the social, economic, and/or physical fabric of a place.

2. Engages with and/or responds to local context (e.g. forces, policies, and players related to a community. Has art/artists/culture as an integral component.

4. Is driven by informed leadership and authentic cross-sector partnerships.

5. Includes a variety of thinking, points of view, and/or people from planning to implementation.

6. Is feasible, reasonable, and well timed.

7. Has the potential to provide insights to the field.

Additional Criteria for Capital Projects (if you have any expenses related to the rehabilitation or construction of a permanent facility/space/structure in your budget)

The project:

8. Demonstrates sufficient market and community demand.

9. Exhibits a high likelihood of securing the necessary resources for completion within the stated timeframe.

10. Partners have a realistic plan in place to raise the operating and capital resources needed for ongoing programming and maintenance.

We give additional consideration to projects that:

• Offer an opportunity to align/leverage federal investments.

• Engage local/regional foundations as part of their funding sources.