Public Art Grant

Bravo Greater Des Moines offers the GC27 Public Art Grant to provide financial support to its local government partners for public art that generates greater artistic and cultural expression within their communities and enhances the Greater Des Moines region. The program provides two pathways for support, and eligible Bravo communities may request support through both pathways during the same grant cycle. The first pathway supports a comprehensive community public art plan or a public art project. Bravo defines public art as semi-permanent or permanent artwork that is free and accessible to the public and that enhances and activates spaces in new and dynamic ways. Projects may be stand-alone, integrated, or applied installations. Priority is given to projects that meaningfully involve artists and the community that will experience the artwork in its design and development, as well as projects unique to the requesting community. Comprehensive public art plans may also be supported as actionable road maps for maximizing public art in support of community goals, needs, and future development. The second pathway supports public art programming. Eligible programming consists of artistic or cultural activities with set dates, predetermined costs, and explicit goals and objectives that clearly align with the community's public art strategies and objectives. Programs must be free and open to all participants, although free youth programming offered through city departments such as libraries or parks and recreation is also eligible. Existing programs may qualify, but applicants must demonstrate ongoing community interest and continuous improvement when a program has previously occurred. Arts, culture, or community heritage must be central rather than ancillary to the activity. Eligible programs include live, in-person artistic, cultural, or heritage-centric community activities or events and must occur between January 1 and December 31, 2027. Total eligible program costs must be at least $1,500. Funding priorities include programs using a Bravo cultural partner, programs leveraging Bravo-funded public art to strengthen community engagement, and programs prioritized through a comprehensive community public art plan or another local comprehensive plan. Eligible project expenses include artist fees and stipends, eligible concept-development costs, creation of detailed public art proposals, costs to create and install public art, directly associated land and site development, and consultant fees for new or updated comprehensive public art plans. Eligible artwork must have a useful life of at least six months and a total cost of at least $10,000. Ineligible projects include landscapes and gardens, signage and city-branded elements, projects previously funded by Bravo PAG or Bravo/ICON PAG, amphitheaters, Freedom Rocks, bus shelters, play equipment, non-artistic park revitalization, and installations that do not meaningfully engage artists or artisans. Ineligible project costs include city or county staff salaries and wages, non-integral equipment and fixtures, maintenance or repair of existing public art, endowment or sponsorship, existing obligations or liabilities, and operational expenses such as marketing, promotion, and merchandise. Eligible programming expenses include artist fees and stipends, directly associated rentals and licensing fees, and marketing and promotion up to 10 percent of total project costs. Numerous non-artistic, private, fundraising, recreational, religious, capital, food, merchandise, prize, and operational expenses are excluded. Eligible applicants must have a current 28E Agreement with Bravo Greater Des Moines at the time of the proposed project or program and must meet with Bravo staff about the proposed project, plan, or program by September 18, 2026. Failure to satisfy these requirements results in ineligibility for GC27, although Bravo states that specific eligibility requirements may be waived at its discretion. Each city may request funding annually for one public art project or plan and/or programming. A project or plan may receive up to 75 percent of eligible expenses, with awards described as unlikely to exceed $30,000 to $50,000. Programming may receive 75 percent of eligible expenses, with a request limit of $10,000. The application budget must identify ineligible expenses separately, and those expenses cannot count toward the required 25 percent city or county match. Interested communities must submit a Request for Support online through SurveyMonkey Apply. Project or plan requests require a project description and planned location when applicable, an explanation of meaningful resident participation, alignment with city or county priorities, the artist or consultant selection process, Bravo recognition, a revenue and expense budget identifying the Bravo request and other financial support, a timeline with major milestones and contingency plans, and community input and engagement opportunities. Up to three materials illustrating vision and impact may be included. Program requests require a program description and locations, alignment with city or county priorities and anticipated community impact, Bravo recognition, a revenue and expense budget, timelines with major planning milestones, a marketing plan, contingency plans, and up to three optional support materials. Applicants requesting both pathways must complete a separate request for each pathway. City staff must meet with Bravo before submitting. An anonymous panel evaluates requests for alignment with the guidelines and eligibility, with review meetings closed to the public. The Bravo Board of Directors makes final funding decisions, and applicants are instructed not to contact Board or panel members directly about requests or funding amounts. Award notifications are sent by email, there is no appeal of final Board funding decisions, and successful applicants must sign a grant agreement before funds are disbursed. A final grant report is due at the end of the funding term. The GC27 application opens August 24, 2026, the required staff meeting deadline is September 18, 2026, and Requests for Support are due September 25, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. CT. Award announcements and email notifications are scheduled for December 7, 2026. The grant term begins January 1, 2027, signed grant agreements are due January 30, 2027 at 3:00 p.m. CT, and the funding period ends December 31, 2027. Programs must be completed and Bravo funds expended by December 31, 2027, while projects and plans must be completed by December 31, 2028. Questions may be directed to grants@bravogreaterdesmoines.org or 515.243.0388.

Meaningfully involve artists and the community in public art design and development; demonstrate that a project is unique to the requesting community; keep arts, culture and/or heritage central to programming; clearly separate ineligible costs and do not count them toward the 25% city or county match; for programming, strengthen competitiveness by using a Bravo cultural partner, leveraging Bravo-funded public art for community engagement, or implementing priorities identified in a comprehensive public art or other local comprehensive plan