Public-Space Activation Fund: Neighborhood Expressions
Microgrants are available for independent artists (with individual practices performed outside of any arts-employee) who reside in the City of Los Angeles . The proposed project must be: a free public project (activity or presentation) hosted by the operator/manager of a venue in your geographic neighborhood (that is not a conventional arts space, such as a product-design gallery, cineplex, theater lobby, etc.). Neighborhood Expressions grants are given to Los Angeles artists who wish to start a new collaboration with a neighboring café, coffee shop, retailer, health clinic, community center, indoor/outdoor market, or other nearby businesses to engage community members and neighborhood audiences (indoor activities are allowed in this category but open-air activities are highly encouraged)
Creative activities must be free and modestly marketed (to destination travelers, although DCA assumes that the host organization draws a natural audience). Eligible presentations should be either a live performance (e.g. dance, music, theatre, literary readings/spoken word), or a temporary visual display/exhibition. Host businesses should be near (5 miles maximum) from the artist-applicant’s residence in the City of LA. Grant amounts are determined by the council districts in which person+project is authentic.
- $1,200 - Activities within Arts-Underserved council districts 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12.
- $900 - Activities within Arts-Moderately Served council districts 1, 2, 4, 10, 15.
- $600 - Activities within Arts-Generously Served council districts 5, 13, 14.
- Any artist who is facing eviction or displacement for financial reasons may request two grants (from the amounts designated above) for two months of work in order to help them remain as a neighborhood asset.
(Click here for an interactive map of LA City council districts. Confirm whether an address is within LA City boundaries by searching for it in the City’s Neighborhood Info tool)
Eligibility
All lead-applicants should meet the following five criteria:
- Be an individual artist who resides within the municipal boundaries of the City of Los Angeles
- Follow all health and safety guidelines provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
- Be an individual artist who has at least three years of experience presenting artworks in any type of public forum (this includes family events if you regularly perform at private homes).
- Be able to carry out contracted project activities with an understanding that these micro-grants are reimbursable and payable only after final presentations are posted online and a brief project report is submitted to the Department of Cultural Affairs.
- Upon selection, provide a W-9 form that matches the name and address of the applicant-artist, because this micro-grant would count as Miscellaneous Income on that lead-artist’s 2023 and/or 2024 tax-returns.
DCA Grants staff recommends that applicants draft narrative responses in Microsoft Word or similar text-editing applications prior to submittig responses in the Jotform application.