National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Local Arts Agency (LAA) American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Creative Empowerment Subgrant Funding Recommendation for Round 1 Copyrighted
May 1, 2023
City of Dubuque Action Items # 06.
City Council Meeting
ITEM TITLE: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Local Arts Agency (LAA)
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Creative Empowerment Subgrant
Funding Recommendation for Round 1
SUM MARY: City Manager recommending City Council concurrence with the Arts &
Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission's recommendation to fund the NEA
ARPA Creative Empowerment Round 1 subgrant applications at the
award levels specified.
SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File;Approve
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
MVM Memo City Manager Memo
Staff Memo Staff Memo
Dubuque
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Local Arts Agency (LAA)
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Creative Empowerment Subgrant
Funding Recommendation for Round 1
DATE: April 26, 2023
Economic Development Director Jill Connors is recommending City Council
concurrence with the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission's recommendation to
fund the NEA ARPA Creative Empowerment Round 1 subgrant applications at the
award levels in the chart below.
Thus, the Arts Commission's Creative Empowerment subgrant funding recommendation
for Round 1 is as follows:
Creative / Project Award
Andonia Giannakouros / GRID -- 100 Mini Paintings $2,000.00
Aaliyah Herrion / "Naomi" Publication $2,000.00
Brianna Thompson / Liberation for Arts Documentary $1,994.00
Brion Bowman /Album of Musix $2,000.00
Catherine Goodman / Fading Elegance: A Tribute to Good $2 000.00
Grammar, Style, Manners, and Jazz ala Cabaret
Dale Campbell / Black Lives On The Upper Mississippi $2,000.00
Erin Kono / Portraits of Service; Dubuque's Founding Females $1,937.00
Gail Chavenelle / Black History is America History - a sculpture �1,950.00
design project
Luke Tyler/ Music for All - Concert Series $2,000.00
Michele Chillook / Emergence of Spirit: Souls of Sorrow $2,000.00
TOTAL Funds to be Awarded $19,881.00
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
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Michae C. Van Milligen
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Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Jill Connors, Economic Development Director
Du!]uque Economic Development Department
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TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Jill Connors, Economic Development Director
SUBJECT: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Local Arts Agency (LAA) American
Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Creative Empowerment Subgrant Funding
Recommendation for Round 1
DATE: April 26, 2023
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide and request concurrence with the funding
recommendation from the Arts &Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission (Arts Commission)
for awards to Dubuque-based creatives through the NEA LAA ARPA-funded Creative
Empowerment Subgrant Program Round 1.
BACKGROUND
On November 18, 2021, the City of Dubuque's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs announced
the receipt of a $500,000 award through the NEA's LAA Subgranting Program funded by
the ARPA to help the arts and culture sector recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The award allocated $15,000 to the Creative Empowerment subgrant program to support
individual creatives in producing tangible, public-facing, arts-based projects that further
their careers and deepen their community engagement. Additionally, $435,000 of the
awarded funds were directed to the Arts Operating Recovery subgrant program
supporting the arts operations of eligible local nonprofit organizations. Finally, $50,000 of
the award was allocated to facilitate the management and administration of the NEA LAA
ARPA funding by the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs in the Economic Development
Department with oversight from the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission (the
Commission).
The Creative Empowerment subgrant program is a one-time, restricted funding
opportunity. It intends to support individual creatives in producing public-facing tangible
arts-based projects that strategically advance their career while deepening their
community connections through meaningful public programs and activities with
measurable impact.
The Creative Empowerment subgrant program consists of two (2) application and funding
rounds. The rounds are offered at different times to align with two (2) independent yet
overlapping periods of performance.
ROUND 1 — Open for applications Wednesday, February 15 — Friday, March 24, 2023,
for consideration of projects occurring between June 1, 2023 — March 31, 2024.
ROUND 2 — Open for applications Thursday, June 1 — Friday, July 14, 2023, for
consideration of projects occurring between October 1, 2023 — March 31, 2024.
Applicants may apply each round but only receive funding for one (1) project; if an
applicant submits to Round 1 and is not funded, they may submit a revised or new
proposal for Round 2. Awards will be distributed to ensure funds are available for each
round.
Per standard operating procedures, the Round 1 funding is awarded through a
competitive application process with applicants responding to program guidelines and
application questions previously reviewed and approved by the Arts Commission and
transmitted to City Council. Round 1 applications were reviewed and scored by a panel
of volunteers independent of the Arts Commission. Administration of the subgrant
program, from development through application review, has been overseen by Laura
Merrick, Communications and Grants Administration Assistant for the Office of Arts &
Cultural Affairs.
Funding requests include stipends/fees and/or one-time expenses that support the
development or execution of projects by creatives with defined outcomes related to career
and community development goals that occur within the eligible funding period of
performance (June 1, 2023 — March 31, 2024). No match is required. The minimum
request is $500. The maximum request is $2,000.
Allowable funds are restricted to direct support costs associated with specific activities or
work such as performances, presentations, exhibitions, training, research, and/or creation
of an artwork, with tangible outcomes, including:
• Artist's Time
• Professional Services
• Fees
• Materials/Supplies
• Production Expenses
• Health and Safety Supplies
• Marketing and Promotion
• Travel
DISCUSSION
A reallocation of underutilized NEA-ARPA funds, approved by the NEA and City Council,
resulted in the total funds awarded over both program rounds increasing from $15,000 to
$27,000.
Fourteen (14) applications were received in Round 1; all were eligible for funding
consideration per the program guidelines. The request for funding across all eligible
applications is $27,013.00.
All eligible applications were reviewed and scored by volunteer reviewers with knowledge
of the arts, actively participating in the arts, and possessing professional experience in
fields such as nonprofit, business, or medicine. The following volunteers served as the
review panel, independently reading and scoring applications against the previously
approved 15-point rubric:
• Pam Rosmann
• Teresa Eckhart
• Yasyn Lee
Scores and the Creative Empowerment Request form were reviewed and used by staff
to inform a funding strategy presented to the Arts Commission for their review and
approval. The accompanying scoring and funding strategy document, with applicants
anonymously ranked by scoring, was assessed by the Arts Commission on Tuesday, April
25, 2023.
Following a discussion of the strategy, the Arts Commission voted unanimously to
recommend $19,881 to 10 creatives to support elevating their creative pursuits and efforts
to enhance the vitality of the arts in Dubuque.
Thus, the Arts Commission's Creative Empowerment subgrant funding recommendation
for Round 1 is as follows:
Creative / Project Award
Andonia Giannakouros / GRID -- 100 Mini Paintings $2,000.00
Aaliyah Herrion / "Naomi" Publication $2,000.00
Brianna Thompson / Liberation for Arts Documentary $1,994.00
Brion Bowman / Album of Musix $2,000.00
Catherine Goodman / Fading Elegance: A Tribute to $2 000.00
Good Grammar, Style, Manners, and Jazz ala Cabaret
Dale Campbell / Black Lives On The Upper Mississippi $2,000.00
Erin Kono / Portraits of Service; Dubuque's Founding
Females $1,937.00
Gail Chavenelle / Black History is America History - a
sculpture design project $1,950.00
Luke Tyler/ Music for All - Concert Series $2,000.00
Michele Chillook / Emergence of Spirit: Souls of Sorrow $2,000.00
TOTAL Funds to be Awarded $19,881.00
The Creative Empowerment Round 1 period of performance runs from June 1, 2023
through March 31, 2024. Subgrant recipients are required to submit a final report by April
30, 2024. The balance of funds remaining to award in Round 2 is $7,119.
BUDGET IMPACT
There are no new budget impacts. The Creative Empowerment subgranting program is
funded by the National Endowment for the Arts ARPA to Local Arts Agencies for
Subgranting awarded to the City of Dubuque.
RECOMMENDATION/ ACTION STEP
I respectfully request concurrence with the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission's
recommendation to fund the NEA ARPA Creative Empowerment Round 1 subgrant
applications at the aforementioned levels for approval by City Council.
Cc: Laura Merrick, Communications and Grants Administration Assistant
Teri Goodman, Director of Strategic Partnerships
Justin Thiltgen, Technical Grant Analyst/Assistant
Jenny Larson, Director of Finance and Budget