Recover Forward Grants for the Arts Announced, Additional Applications Sought for 2021 Awards

Bloomington, Ind. - As part of Mayor John Hamilton’s initiative to Recover Forward from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association (BUEA) has awarded $48,000 in grant funding to 21 nonprofit organizations that foster the arts and cultivate community in Bloomington.  The following grant recipients representing a range from visual arts and letters to music and theater have availed themselves of online, digital, and other platforms to provide arts and cultural opportunities to residents during this challenging time: 

• Artisan Alley $1,500

• Blockhouse Bar $2,000

• Bloomington Bach Cantata Project $1,500

• Bloomington Chamber Singers $3,000

• Bloomington Creative Glass Center $2,000

• Bloomington Early Music Festival $2,500

• Buskirk-Chumley Theater $3,000

• Cardinal Stage $3,000

• Forgotten Clefs, Inc. $2,275

• Indiana Review $1,250

• Indiana University Writers’ Conference $1,500 

• Las Aves $2,000

• Lotus Education and Arts Foundation $3,500

• Midway Music Speaks $3,250

• Monroe County History Center $3,000

• Orbit Room $2,000

• Reimagining Opera for Kids $3,500

• The Ryder Magazine & Film Series, $2,250 

• W the Trees $2,500

• Windfall Dancers $1,200

• Writers Guild at Bloomington, Inc. $2,000 

The BUEA and the Bloomington Arts Commission (BAC) invite nonprofit organizations and businesses in the arts and cultural sector to apply for another round of funds starting Friday, November 20 at noon at the following link: https://bloomington.in.gov/arts/grants.   Applications will be evaluated according to organizational capacity, community impact, equity and inclusion efforts, artistic quality, and programming needs.  Completed applications are due Monday,  December 28, at 5 p.m., with awards to be announced and distribution anticipated by late January.  

“Bloomington’s arts scene is one of our signatures and a critical part of our economic base. It’s also been a source of solace and inspiration during these difficult times,” said Mayor Hamilton.  “As our beloved arts and cultural organizations grapple with the challenges of the pandemic, we are committed to helping support them continue to operate, and to activate and elevate all of us.”

This latest round of arts funding follows the BUEA’s and BAC’s awarding of $80,800 in May 2020 to 26 nonprofit organizations whose programming was interrupted or otherwise impacted by the pandemic. Since March, the groups have been working alongside the Economic Stabilization and Recovery Working Group (ES&R), convened by Mayor Hamilton to oversee the City’s response to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, an effort that has evolved into the City’s multi-year Recover Forward initiative. 

ES&R has also been identifying local economic impacts, business needs, resources, and gaps; establishing a mechanism for providing local government funding relief and wraparound services; and facilitating community partnerships. ES&R is administering the Rapid Response Fund, which has provided much-needed support to local businesses in Bloomington over the past eight months. The ES&R Working Group includes local community leaders representing the City’s Department of Economic and Sustainable Development, the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation, the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, Dimension Mill, Inc., and CFDI Friendly Bloomington.  

Additional resources for arts organizations, businesses, individuals, and those wishing to provide assistance are listed at the websites of the City of Bloomington and the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.