To foster creativity and continue to build on Iowa’s City’s moniker, The Greatest Small City for the Arts, the City’s Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) has announced the 2023 Matching Grant fund program!

Matching grants are available for art projects (visual, audio, or performance-based) that are located in Iowa City and accessible to the general public. This will be the only round offered and the only application period for Public Art Matching Grants in 2023.

The maximum award is $3,500 which will require documented total project costs of at least $7,000. Smaller grants for smaller projects are also available; the minimum grant is $500 for a grant project of at least $1,000. All projects must be completed during the calendar year 2023.

Art such as sculpture, murals, performances, interactive exhibits, video projections, soundscapes, the spoken word, and other media will all be considered. While all proposals will be considered, those that are functional, ephemeral, in unexpected places, or have a participatory element to them will be strong competitors.

Proposals must be for projects created by Iowa City artists that will be publicly accessible and viewable within Iowa City city limits. Art may be displayed or performed on private property with the property owner's permission.

Proposals will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 24, 2023. Grant awards will be announced the week of April 10, 2023. Projects are required to be completed by December 31, 2023.

The application and additional information on selection criteria, submission requirements, eligible expenses, and other conditions for the program are available at www.icgov.org/publicart.

For more information, contact Wendy Ford at 319-356-5248 or wford@iowa-city.org.