Applications open for Littleton arts and culture grants

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Arts and culture organizations that serve Littleton now have a new opportunity for funding, as applications are open for arts and culture grants through e Littleton Museum.

ese grants will be funded by Littleton’s new 5% lodger’s tax on hotels, motels and short-term rentals, which was approved by voters in 2022.

e city will use 25% of the revenue from the lodger’s tax to support the grant program. Other portions of the tax revenue will go towards supporting the city’s main arts and culture institutions, tourism marketing, public art programming and historic preservation.

“ at is something that I think the entire community is very excited about, to really invigorate and bring our communities to the next level of culture,” Mayor Kyle Schlachter said during the May 17 State of the City address.

e new grant program aims to build strong and dynamic arts and culture organizations in Littleton, foster collaboration between organizations and cultivate community en- gagement, according to the program’s webpage. e Arts and Culture Commission also recommends that applying organizations have been in operation and o ered publicly accessible programming for at least three consecutive years, according to the program’s webpage. e commission will determine recommendations for grant recipients and present these recommendations to city council for nal approval in the fall. e total amount of money available for grant distribution in 2024 is estimated to be approximately $250,000. ere is no minimum or maximum award organizations can ask for.

“It may pay for paint for an art installation, it may pay for a guest conductor for the symphony, it may pay for costuming or an additional instructor at the Littleton Ballet,” wrote Kate Eckel, chair of the Arts and Culture Commission, which administers and manages the funds.

“ e opportunities are endless.” Organizations, especially nonpro ts, that o er programming in Littleton and show a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion are encouraged to apply. ese organizations should provide some type of “art” to the community, Eckel wrote, but noted that the de nition of art is broad.

“ is could be performing arts, two- and three-dimensional, temporary art installations, interactive art, etc.,” she wrote.

“We are telling applicants to ‘reach for the sky’ this year to help establish baselines and make sure we have plenty of applications in which to distribute funds,” Eckel wrote. More information on the grant program and how to apply is available at https://www.museum.littletonco. gov/Public-Art/Arts-Culture-Grants. Applications are due by June 11 and funds will be made available at the start of 2024.