Creative Economy Fund
Application Deadline: May 3, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.
As part of a larger initiative to continue activating Downtown Mesa, increase the growing number and variety of offerings at Mesa Arts Center (MAC), and continue building an environment of creativity and discovery downtown, the CREATIVE ECONOMY FUND in-kind grant program is being continued for a 15th and final year. This will be the final year for the Creative Economy Fund.
The intent of this program is to:
- Reduce cost pressures for professional and semi-professional organizations who use or wish to use MAC venues;
- Help bring new cultural offerings to the Mesa and East Valley communities; and
- Encourage new organizations to present or produce an event at MAC in order to form new partnerships and relationships across cultural organizations in the region.
Mesa Arts Center's CREATIVE ECONOMY FUND will support reduced rental fees at Mesa Arts Center for non-profit organizations presenting an arts project, event, activity, workshop, or a series of any of the above. Organizations may submit only one application for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The Creative Economy Fund will be discontinued after the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
Project Support
Applicants may submit proposals requesting reduction of rental fees for the use of Mesa Arts Center theaters, Studios, or Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum lecture hall or courtyard for the purpose of presenting quality arts programs for Mesa and the region. The proposed projects must take place between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026. Projects may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- A concert or series of concerts
- A theater, dance, or spoken word production
- A collaborative or interactive community art project
- Workshop(s) or class(es) in the visual or performing arts
- A multidisciplinary project
Eligibility
Applicants must be a non-profit, Arizona-based 501(c)(3) organization. While arts and culture organizations are strongly encouraged to apply, other non-profit organizations that are offering arts programming to the public are also welcome to apply.
Please note: If you apply to both the Creative Economy Fund program and the Arts at the Center program (a MAC Foundation program) and are awarded both, you will need to choose to receive one or the other but cannot accept both. You will not be eligible to receive support through both programs. More information on the Arts at the Center program.
Applicants who received an award for the 2024-2025 fiscal year and are applying for the 2025-2026 fiscal year must include, as part of the project for which they are applying, a community engagement, education, or audience development activity and are strongly encouraged to expand on previous efforts of these kinds. We require this so that the support provided through the Creative Economy enables growth of the organization’s audiences and/or increases value to the community.
Examples of activities that fulfill this requirement include, but are not limited to:
- Workshops
- Audience talk-backs
- Lecture-demonstrations
- School or community-based performances or outreach activities
- Discount ticket offers
- Ticket giveaways to low-income or underserved audiences
- Special promotions that reach new audiences
This is by no means an exhaustive list. Creativity in responding to this requirement is encouraged, and a thoughtful plan will increase the likelihood of receiving support.
Requirements
Amounts requested for rental fee reduction may not exceed the total amount being paid in facility rental fees. Fee reduction awarded to any one organization will not exceed $5,000, and for most applicants is unlikely to exceed $2,500.
The amount requested can cover base rental fees only (cost for facility use). Production, front-of- house, or ticketing fees will not be eligible for funding but must be shown as expenses in the project budget. Marketing services will not be provided as part of this support, but all projects taking place at Mesa Arts Center will be included as calendar listings on MAC’s website and promoted on our digital marquees.
As a requirement of the application, you must discuss calendar availability and cost estimates with Mesa Arts Center’s Event Services Team at 480-644-6589 or Rentals@mesaartscenter.com and request a production cost estimate prior to developing your budget and submitting your application. You are also required to attach a copy of your event estimate from Event Services in your application. We recommend applicants reach out to Event Services a minimum of two weeks before the application due date. Please do not wait until the final week for submission to contact Event Services, as staff are unavailable to do last minute calculations. Once you know your project and have selected prospective dates, contact them immediately.
The events held at the Mesa Arts Center through the Creative Economy Fund cannot be fundraising events or promoted as such by the presenting/producing organization, whether for your own or another organization or cause. Organizations funded agree to acknowledge support from Mesa Arts Center in programs and other means that are feasible and appropriate, such as curtain speeches.
Recipients must clear any use of the MAC logo or any unusual recognition of this award with MAC staff.
Recommended acknowledgement language: “This [presentation] is made possible in part by City of Mesa’s Arts & Culture Department and Mesa Arts Center.”
Final Report
Each applicant awarded support by the City of Mesa Department of Arts and Culture Creative Economy Fund must provide the City with a follow-up report and a financial report showing all income and expenses and describing how the project met the stated applicant objectives and the criteria below. The Final Report is due by July 31, 2026.
Review Process
All applications are reviewed by a citizen panel of three to five individuals representing Mesa’s Museum & Cultural Advisory Board, Mesa Arts Foundation, downtown businesses, arts enthusiasts, and community partners.
Review Criteria
- Quality of the artistic work to be presented and/or the past artistic work of the applicant organization or its presentations.
- Length or scope of the engagement or activity, and any indication of interest or intention to develop an ongoing relationship with the Mesa Arts Center.
- Extent to which the project provides new or different experiences to the community, meets a community need, or provides an experience or cultural opportunity in which the community has indicated an interest/need/desire.
- Quality and likely impact of any proposed education, outreach/engagement programs, or audience development activities. (This does not apply to first-time applicants).
- Soundness of the plan for the proposed project and the likelihood of success. Ability of the organization to meet the stated objectives of the project, as stated in the application.
All applicants are encouraged to include audience engagement/audience development activities as part of their project, which will be considered in rating criteria number 4 above.
Printable Application(PDF, 352KB)
Apply Online