DES MOINES – More than 200 Iowa organizations and individuals working in arts and culture, film and media, and history and historic preservation will receive a boost from $2.3 million in grant awards announced today (Thursday), by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. Among the Arts and Culture Grant recipients, is The New Century Art Guild in Elk Horn received $5,000 to develop a series of public art exhibitions, called “Walls of Honor,” created by military veterans.

Elk Horn, New Century Art Guild

The grants are funded through the annual appropriations passed by the Iowa Legislature and signed into law by Governor Reynolds, effective July 1, 2021. The state’s investment is enhanced by funding from two federal agencies, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and administered by the department’s three divisions: the Iowa Arts Council, State Historical Society of Iowa and Produce Iowa, the state office of film and media production.

“The annual funding has never been more important than this year’s investment, which will help fuel the resurgence of Iowa’s arts, film, heritage, humanities and creative sectors,” Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Director Chris Kramer said. “Audiences and visitors are eagerly returning to museums and historic sites, concerts and cultural festivals this summer, even as our industry continues to rebound from substantial financial losses from the pandemic.”

In this round of funding, the department made 244 grant awards for community initiatives and creative projects across the state, arts and cultural organizations, individual artists and filmmakers and historic preservation efforts in 46 counties and 71 communities. The department also designated 58 of Iowa’s leading arts and cultural organizations as Cultural Leadership Partners, a competitive process that occurs once every three years. Cultural Leadership Partners receive annual operational support in recognition of their role as community and cultural anchors that maintain high standards of excellence, generate tourism and support high-quality jobs.

The grants are divided into the following three general categories:

• Arts & Culture Grants – This year, the Iowa Arts Council awarded $1,632,495 in grants to 192 projects across the state.
• Film & Media Grants – Produce Iowa, the state office of media production, awarded $164,870 to five Greenlight Grants for film and digital media productions that will be produced in Iowa.  Now in its third year, this program encourages Iowa filmmakers to build a more robust film and media industry in Iowa. The grants can be used to produce features, shorts, pilot episodes or proof-of-concept videos to help propel a script to the screen. Eligible projects must be ready for production and demonstrate public value.
• History Grants – The State Historical Society of Iowa awarded $550,946 in 47 grants for research projects as well as other projects supported by the Historical Resource Development Program, funded through the state’s Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) funds, to preserve historical collections, invest in communities through historic preservation and promote Iowa history.

More information is available HERE.