Public Art in Community Grant Program

The Public Art in Community Grant is administered by the Mississippi Arts Commission in partnership with the Levitt Foundation and additional collaborators including the Maddox Foundation and Mississippi Main Street. The program is designed to strengthen community identity and economic vitality through the creation of accessible public art installations paired, in alternating years, with a multi-year outdoor concert series. The initiative reflects the Mississippi Arts Commission’s broader mission to support, inspire, and enrich communities through arts-based development and creative placemaking. By combining capital support for art installations with programming activation through music, the grant aims to create long-term, vibrant public destinations. The primary purpose of the grant is to fund the design, installation, and activation of community-driven public art projects that are accessible to the public and centrally located. In alternating fiscal years, the grant includes an additional Levitt AMP Music Series component, which provides multi-year funding to host free outdoor concerts at the site of the installed artwork. These projects are expected to serve as community hubs that can also host markets, festivals, and other public gatherings. The program emphasizes community engagement in the design process and requires applicants to demonstrate that local stakeholders have been actively involved in shaping the project concept. Funding for the public art installation includes a required $15,000 award from the Mississippi Arts Commission, which must be matched with at least $15,000 in cash from the applicant organization. Additional funding includes $15,000 from the Maddox Foundation and up to $5,000 from Mississippi Main Street for eligible organizations located in designated communities. In alternating years, recipients may also receive up to $40,000 per year for three years through the Levitt AMP program, totaling up to $120,000, to support the production of ten free outdoor concerts annually. Matching requirements apply to both components, with specific rules governing allowable sources and proportions of cash versus in-kind contributions. Eligible applicants are Mississippi-based, community-focused 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that conduct regular public programming and are either the property owners or have documented permission from property owners where the installation will be located. Priority is given to rural communities with populations under 25,000. Applicants must demonstrate organizational capacity, community engagement, and a commitment to artistic excellence rooted in Mississippi’s cultural legacy. The program requires applicants to show evidence of collaboration with community partners and the ability to manage project implementation and long-term site activation. The application process begins with a mandatory Letter of Intent submitted through the Mississippi Arts Commission’s E-Grant system, followed by an invitation-only full application phase. Required materials include organizational documentation, project descriptions, site images, artist information, budget details, letters of support, and agreements with project partners. Applications are evaluated based on organizational capacity, artistic excellence, public participation and access, and overall project impact. A panel review process takes place in early October, with final award announcements made in November. The grant operates on an annual cycle with a recurring structure. The Letter of Intent period opens July 1 and closes July 15, followed by a full application deadline of September 1. The eligible project period for art installations runs from November 1 through June 30 of the following year. In alternating years, the Levitt AMP concert series extends programming over three subsequent years. Applicants can contact the Arts-Based Community Development Director for guidance, and all submissions must be completed through the official grant portal.

Demonstrate strong community engagement early show clear partnerships and provide detailed budget and implementation capacity highlight Mississippi artistic excellence and inclusive participation