Urbana Arts Grants

PROGRAM GOALS FOR URBANA ARTS GRANT PROGRAM

• Integrate the arts into the urban environment, creating a sense of place and purpose and promoting tourism and commerce;
• Increase the availability of publicly accessible projects in the arts;
• Encourage emerging artists and art forms;
• Preserve and commemorate local and multicultural traditions and histories;
• Enrich the lives of Urbana residents and visitors;
• Increase opportunities for residents to engage in the arts in its many forms;
• Represent the community in its diversity; and
• Encourage partnerships among artists, performers, businesses, and organizations

GRANT ELIGIBILITY AND RESTRICTIONS

Eligibility

• Projects must be exhibited or performed within the City of Urbana. Please note that the cities of Champaign and Urbana are separate entities. Further, preference may be given to projects that take place within a Tax Increment Financing District (TIF).
• Projects must be open and accessible to the public. Projects that charge admission are required to ensure grant funding is spent primarily on portions of the project that are free and open to the public.
• Permanent installations are not eligible at this time. Consideration will be given to murals with a detailed property owner partnership/tenant relationship, along with a plan and detailed timeline for installation, maintenance, and de-installation.
• Applicants do not need to live in the City of Urbana. However, Urbana residency may be taken into consideration.
• Previous recipients of Urbana Arts Grants ARE eligible to apply for the 2026 cycle of Urbana Arts Grants. Grant applications requesting funding for new projects or new additions to ongoing projects may be given priority.
• Grantees with outstanding Urbana Arts Grants will NOT be eligible to apply.

Funding Restrictions

Grant funds must be used to support project-based efforts. Requests for operating costs will not be considered. Grant funds may NOT be used for the following purposes:

• For the purchase of non-consumable materials (e.g., computers, software, cameras, power tools, instruments)
• For the completion of degree work
• For any event conducted solely or primarily as a fundraiser
• For inherently religious activities (religious worship, instruction, or proselytization.) As a note, faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for an Urbana Arts Grant to support the non-religious cultural and arts programming that they provide and proposals should outline the care taken to separate, in time or location, their inherently religious activities from any arts or cultural programming funded through an Urbana Arts Grant.
• For any project serving as a political endorsement
• For any cash prizes, gifts, or giveaway items
• For any honoraria and/or salary or service payments to City of Urbana staff or members of the Urbana Arts and Culture Commission.
• For any projects that serve as commercial advertising

Please email any questions to artsgrant [at] urbanail.gov (ArtsGrant[at]UrbanaIL[dot]gov).