Justin Favela’s “Gypsy Rose” is part of an exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum called “Desert Rider” until September 2022.
Nearly a hundred arts and cultural groups will share about $ 1.3 million, thanks to grants approved by Phoenix leaders last week. But a city council member voted against the awards and criticized the process.
“Our support for the arts should not be reserved in our downtown or city center,” said Councilwoman Betty Guardado. “All Phoenix communities should have access to experience and appreciate the arts. It is the job of our art and culture department to ensure that there is equity in our funding so that this becomes a reality.”
Guardado expressed dissatisfaction with the programs and priorities of art and culture since he took office three years ago.
“We keep hearing about different programs that will be done in District 5 and on the west side and we don’t see any deadlines,” he said.
Mayor Kate Gallego said the city’s arts and culture office has made changes to the grant program, such as offering the portal in Spanish and opening the process to small LLCs and artist collaborators.
“I don’t think we’re there yet, but it seems to me that the Arts and Culture Commission and our office are really trying to take important steps and this year we’ve gotten an increase in applications, which is exciting.”
Some of the smaller grants (about $ 2,500) will go to Hatcher Business Alliance, Arizona’s LGBT plus history project, and a collective of artists called The Sacred Gs. The largest grant, $ 45,000, will go to the Arizona Ballet, followed by $ 41,000 for the Phoenix Theater and $ 40,000 each for the Phoenix Museum of Art and the Desert Botanical Garden.
As of April 4, 2022, the application deadline, the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture had received 110 applications. Of these, it determined that 100 were eligible for support “and were reviewed by community panels made up of lay people, artists, arts professionals and educators to ensure a complete and impartial review.”
Of the 100 applications reviewed, 98 received funding.
