Leer en español aquí. (https://tinyurl.com/elarteeslasolucion25-26)
Application period: April 1-June 1, 2025
Decisions announced: July 2025
Project completion deadline: June 30, 2026
The Santa Fe Arts Commission and the Arts & Culture Department are pleased to announce the “Art is the Solution” program for 2025-26. This annual funding awards $10,000 each to five arts and culture projects that culminate in a public engagement for residents and visitors of Santa Fe.
This year, the theme is Cultural Futures. We invite artists, artisans, and creative innovators to explore how art serves as a powerful tool for solving cultural challenges, preserving and sustaining traditions, and fostering innovation. Aligning with Santa Fe’s 20th anniversary UNESCO theme of “GENERATION/S: Tradition as Innovation,” this call focuses on intergenerational craftwork, storytelling, and the dynamic fusion of tradition and modernity. We seek proposals that build upon and celebrate the artistry passed down through generations, reimagining heritage as a source of contemporary innovation.
We encourage applications from arts practitioners of all backgrounds and disciplines, from the traditional to the contemporary, including craft, folk art, metalwork, woodcraft, textiles, pottery, murals, lowrider art, dance, culinary arts, visual art, film/video, writing, architecture, music composition, performing arts, design, new media, and interdisciplinary arts. We also encourage collaborations between artists of different generations. We recognize that while cultural heritage is often transmitted linearly through nuclear families, vital traditions and arts practices may skip and zigzag among generations, or develop authentically from chosen family, diasporic connections, and other cultural affinities.
Project examples might include artworks, public art installations, community workshops, performances, exhibits, publication projects such as zines, books, or anthologies, multimedia work, collaborative/interdisciplinary partnerships, and many other possible forms, as long as they have a public exhibition and/or engagement. If it suits the medium, the Community Gallery may be available as a venue for exhibitions, demonstrations, and talks.
Eligibility Requirements:
1. Residency: Artists must be residents of Santa Fe County.
2. Artists may apply as individuals or small groups of individuals (such as collaborators or family members). If applying as a group of two or more, a lead artist should submit the application and will serve as the point person for receiving funding and carrying out the project.
3. Project Location: Projects must take place within Santa Fe City or County. Note that if your project is site-specific, you must ensure you have permission to conduct your project on that site.
4. Project Timeline: All projects must be completed, with a public presentation scheduled, by June 30, 2026.
5. Public Engagement: Projects must include a component that engages the public, ensuring accessibility and community involvement.
6. Reapplication Rule: Previous recipients of “Art is the Solution” funding must wait two years before applying again.
Ineligible Applicants:
- City of Santa Fe-operated programs.
- Current Arts and Culture Department-funded projects.
- City of Santa Fe employees and appointees.
- Nonprofit organizations and LLCs. This funding is exclusively for individual artists.
Evaluation Criteria:
· Project Description and Artistic Concept (40 points): How well does the project respond to the "Cultural Futures” call? Is the concept original and creatively compelling?
· Artistic Quality (30 points): Demonstrated proficiency and skill in the chosen medium.
· Community Engagement (30 points): Evidence of a plan for accessible, strong public engagement that takes into account the diverse community of Santa Fe.
Info session with tips for a strong application and questions answered will be held Thursday, April 17, 2025 at noon. Link here.
NO LATE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. No exceptions. Apply early and allow time to resolve technical complications.