Public Art Grant

Bravo Greater Des Moines provides financial support to local government partners for public art projects or the creation of a municipal public art plan. Applicants must have a current 28E Agreement with Bravo.

The GC24 Application is now closed.

Download GC24 Grant Guidelines

Grant Details

Program Overview

Bravo Greater Des Moines offers financial support to its local government partners for new public art plans and projects that generate more artistic and cultural expression in Greater Des Moines. Bravo defines “public art” as semi-permanent or permanent artwork that is free and accessible to the public and enhances and activates spaces in new and dynamic ways. Public art projects may be stand alone, integrated or applied installations. Priority will be given to projects that meaningfully involve both artists and the community intended to experience the artwork in design and development and projects which are unique to the individual community.

A total of up to $250,000 is available for Public Art Grant (PAG) awards in grant cycle 2024 (GC24). This is a competitive grant program; it is likely not all funding requests will be approved.

Applicant Eligibility

Eligible PAG applicants must meet each of the following criteria:

Have a current 28E Agreement with Bravo Greater Des Moines
Meet with Bravo staff about their project or plan by March 29, 2024

Failure to meet these criteria will result in ineligibility for funding in GC24. Government partners may submit only one PAG application per grant cycle. Government partners may apply for both Bravo/ICON PAG and Bravo’s Public Art Grant in the same year if the applications are for different and distinct projects.

Government partners that received a Bravo Public Art Grant in GC23 are eligible to apply in GC24. However, priority may be given to government partners that did not receive funding from Bravo in GC23.

Project Eligibility

Eligible PAG projects include concept development and the creation and/or installation of works of public art. Eligible artwork must have a useful life of at least six months and a total cost of at least $10,000. The artwork may be part of a building, bridge or other permanent infrastructure, but grant funds are restricted to the costs associated with the artistic enhancement of the infrastructure project.

The creation of a comprehensive public art plan is also an eligible PAG project. A comprehensive public art plan is an actionable tool used as a road map for a city, including its commissions, city departments, program staff, artists and stakeholders, to maximize public art in supporting the goals, needs and future of its community.

Funding priorities for GC24 are:

Creation or revision of a comprehensive public art plan
Public art projects that are a direct result of comprehensive public art plans
Other projects

Projects that are likely to be completed during the funding period may also be prioritized.

Bravo PAG funding may be used for the following:

Artist fees and stipends or other eligible costs for project concept development, which can include the creation of detailed proposals for public art projects in the applicant city.
Costs to create and to install public art, including land and site development directly associated with the public art installation.
Consultant fees for the development and creation of a new or updated comprehensive public art plan.

Projects ineligible for PAG funding include, but are not limited, to the following:

Landscapes and gardens
Signage, including welcome and wayfinding signs, or any city-branded elements
Projects previously funded by Bravo Public Art Grant
Public Art projects at water trail access points that are eligible for the ICON Public Art Grant
Projects previously funded by Bravo PAG or Bravo/ICON PAG
Amphitheaters
Freedom Rocks
Bus shelters

Grant funds must be spent within the GC24 funding period (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025) and the project must be completed by June 30, 2026.

Funding Period	Project Completion Date
GC24 July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025	June 30, 2026

Ineligible expenses include, but are not limited to the following:

City/County staff salaries and wages
Equipment and fixtures that are not integral to the structure or operation of the artwork
Maintenance/repair of existing public art collection
Endowment
Sponsorship
Existing obligations, debts or liabilities
Operational expenses related to marketing, promotion and merchandise
Programming that activates a public art piece

Grant Awards

Applicants may request up to 50% of eligible costs for a public art project or up to 75% of eligible costs for a new or revised public art plan. Bravo may, at its discretion, award partial funding requests. It is unlikely Bravo would award more than $50,000 to a single project.

Application Attachments

Applicants will be asked to attach supplemental materials with their application. Failure to submit required documentation may result in disqualification from consideration. All attachments must be in PDF format.

Supplemental materials will include:

Budget – One-page budget that details the costs to fully complete the project. Clearly identify any expenses already incurred and any contingency funds. Public art expenses must be clearly separated from other, non-public art-related expenses and fees paid to artists should be clearly called out.
Fundraising – List of all confirmed, pending and potential/prospect sources (cash, pledges and in-kind) of funding to complete the project. Include the donor name, the amount and the date of donation/funding decision. Label donations that are in-kind.
Timeline – One-page detailed timeline of major milestones for the project. Use specific dates when possible and include milestones already reached. Opportunities for community input and engagement should be included.
Images (if available) – Up to three images for the project. These can be artist’s renderings, sketches, photos of the site or equipment or stock photos of the materials to be used. Make the images compelling and part of the case for funding. Although specific artist renderings of the final installation are not required, projects that create a clear and compelling picture of the planned public art generally perform better.

Application Review

An anonymous panel of reviewers will evaluate eligible applications based on information provided by the applicant prior to recommendation of awards. Review meetings are closed to the public, and the Bravo Board of Directors will make final funding decisions. Applicants should not directly contact Bravo Board or panel members to discuss applications or funding amounts.

Grant Award Process

Award notifications will be sent via email. Applicants awarded a GC24 Public Art Grant will be required to sign a grant agreement by August 5, 2024. Grant awards will be disbursed after execution of the grant agreement, and a final grant report will be due at the end of the funding term. Bravo staff will require final renderings of the project to ensure eligibility.

Bravo is committed to a transparent, fair and consistent grantmaking process. There is no appeal of final funding decisions made by the Bravo Board of Directors.