Cultural Affairs Office

Press and Communications

May 28, 2019 -- The City of Houston invites proposals for local public art projects that The Mayor would endorse for potential grant funding by a National Endowment for the Arts program called Our Town.

The federal agency’s grant program is interested in art projects tied to community priorities such as public safety, health, blight and vacancy, environment, job creation, equity, local business development, education, civic participation, and/or community cohesion.

The Mayor may nominate two Houston projects for grants up to $200,000. Artists and organizations who receive the grants must provide matching funds.

“As we work to develop our ‘complete city’ with enhancements for every neighborhood, I’m excited about artists and organizations bringing forward their best ideas for this grant opportunity,” The Mayor said.

The Our Town program supports projects that create lively, beautiful, and resilient places with the arts at their core. The grant embraces the expanding role that culture plays in communities.

Applications guided by the City’s Arts and Cultural Plan will be most competitive for The Mayor’s endorsement.  For more about the Arts and Cultural Plan visit this page.

Applicants should submit their concepts, with identified artists and partners, no later than June 18, 2019 to cultural.affairs@houstontx.gov.

Applicants should consult the Our Town grant program website (link deactivated), which includes guidance and resources including case studies for developing successful projects.

Successful applicants will receive the required endorsement letter to include with their final submission to the National Endowment for the Arts, due on Aug. 8, 2019.

To learn more about the City’s cultural programs visit online and follow The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs on Facebook and Instagram @HoustonMOCA.