Arts Education Funding Opportunities

About

The UA&M Arts Education Program offers several funding opportunities aimed specifically at fostering arts learning opportunities in Utah.

Arts Education Professional Development sponsorships

These sponsorship awards are offered to support activities and events that provide training and professional development for Utah arts educators. Sponsored events should connect teachers and/or administrators with working artists, and may be open to student or community participation as well. Review the AE Sponsorship Guidelines for more information about the types of events that qualify. Access the Sponsorship Application here.

Collaborative Arts Education Projects (CAEP)

CAEP is a funding model that establishes partnerships and collaboration in a community. Funded projects will create arts learning activities while making connections that make can continue long after the project ends. CAEP projects will bring teaching artists, educators and arts/cultural organizations together with other community assets, such as social service agencies, parks and recreation, hospitals, senior centers, correctional facilities, community centers, libraries. etc. To discuss your project idea and how it can qualify to become a CAEP project, contact jirwin@utah.gov to schedule a conversation.

Utah PTA Arts Education Grant

UA&M partners with the Utah PTA to award these annual grants for art-making programs in Utah schools. Local PTAs may apply for up to $500 which must be matched dollar for dollar (1:1). A grant may be requested for new or existing PTA/PTSA art programs. It may also be used for artists fees, musical scores, theater rights, costuming, theatrical props, scenery, instruments, project specific supplies, etc. It may not be used for field trips, student transportation, and admission tickets, etc. Applications are made directly to the Utah PTA. Learn more about the grant requirements and how to apply.

Teacher Initiated Project (TIP) Grant

TIP grants allow individual teachers to pursue their personal artistic growth through one-on-one study with a professional artist of their choice in any discipline. The educator does not have to have any experience in the chosen art form, and the training does not require the teacher to apply these lessons directly in the classroom. Grant payment is made directly to an artist for providing 16 hours of personal instruction to an educator. TIP Guidelines can be found here. After reviewing them, teachers may apply here.

Special opportunities

Special project and funding opportunities that may be available for a limited time.

Free Folk Arts Workshops

UA&M is accepting applications for our FREE workshop series, Living Folk Arts for Kids and Adults. This program allows interested learners in schools, arts and community organizations, or museums to actively engage in the folk arts.

Interested participants can choose to schedule a wide range of traditional arts workshops taught by folk artists from across Utah. Workshops may be held at the Chase Home Museum in Salt Lake City, or your organization may arrange to have the workshop come to your location. If you, your school, or your group are interested in organizing one of these workshops, please explore our roster of folk artists and fill out the form linked below to let us know what types of folk artists you’re interested in and where you’d like the workshop to take place.

We are thrilled to offer these workshops and look forward to learning about and celebrating folk art with you!

 Folk Arts Workshop Request form. 

Poet Laureate's Student Broadside Project

Lisa Bickmore, the poet laureate for the State of Utah (appointed 2022-2027) has asked us to share an exciting project with the arts learning community. Thanks to an Academy of American Poets Fellowship, Lisa's micro-press is implementing civic project focused on engaging young people. This student project from Moon in the Rye introduces students to the art of creating broadisides, which combine writing with printmaking.

Lisa will work directly with Utah students, K-12, to create work centered on the environment—specifically the Great Salt Lake, but any water-related subject. She will visit classrooms and carry out writing and visual projects with prompts, instruction, and tools. She can work with teams of teachers in visual arts, language arts, and science as well, to bring this project to Utah students. She will work within local communities to stage events that allow students to exhibit and share the work they create.

This flexible project and can be adapted to fit many different needs and situations. If you are interested in bringing this project to your K-12 students, fill out this form  to let Lisa know your needs and your questions.

Jean Tokuda Irwin
Arts Education Manager
801.236.7559

Justin Ivie
Arts Education Coordinator 
801.236.7542