FY 2026 Arts & Culture Special Projects Grant Funding RecommendationCity of Dubuque
City Council
ACTION ITEMS # 5.
Copyrighted
July 7, 2025
ITEM TITLE: FY 2026 Arts & Culture Special Projects Grant Funding
Recommendation
SUMMARY: City Manager recommending City Council concurrence with
the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission granting the
recommended recipients and funding levels of the FY2026
Arts & Culture Special Projects grant applicants.
SUGGUESTED Receive and File; Approve
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
1. MVM Memo
2. Staff Memo
3. Supporting Documentation
Page 633 of 678
Dubuque
THE CITY OF
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Masterpiece on the Mississippi zoo�•*o
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: FY 2026 Arts & Culture Special Projects Grant Funding Recommendation
DATE: July 1, 2025
Arts & Cultural Affairs Manager Bonnie Spurling is recommending City Council
concurrence with the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission granting the
recommended recipients and funding levels of the FY2026 Arts & Culture Special
Projects grant applicants as follows:
• $8,000 to Dubuque Museum of Art
• $4,000 to The Grand Opera House
• $3,700 to St. Mark's Enrichment
• $8,000 to Dubuque Forward / Culture & Creativity Passion Team
• $4,500 to Northeast Iowa School of Music
• $8,000 to Voices Productions
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
k�4
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:sv
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Jill Connors, Economic Development Director
Bonnie Spurling, Arts & Cultural Affairs Manager
Jenny Larson, Finance Director
Page 634 of 678
Dubuque
THE CITY OF
DU B E
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11.nx,ti.
2007.2012*2013
2017*2019
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Bonnie Spurling, Arts & Cultural Affairs Manager
Economic Development Department
1300 Main St
Dubuque, IA 52001
Office (563) 589-4393
TTY (563) 690-6678
http://www.cityofdubuque.org
SUBJECT: FY 2026 Arts & Culture Special Projects Grant Funding Recommendation
DATE: June 25, 2025
INTRODUCTION
This memorandum requests City Council concurrence with the recommended recipients and
funding levels of the FY2026 Arts & Culture Special Projects grant applicants.
Through the Arts & Culture Special Projects Grant program, the City of Dubuque provides grant
funds to cultivate unique and innovative creative arts and culture experiences that prioritize
community engagement and active partnerships in which all parties may experience change
and growth. The Arts & Culture Special Projects Grant program has been in place since
FY2005 when $30,000 was disbursed to five arts organizations for their work. This amount was
increased to $35,000 annually in FY2006.
Per standard operating procedure, this funding is awarded annually 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 the City Council.
Applications were reviewed and scored by a three -person panel independent of the Arts
Commission. Scoring was then considered by and a recommendation supported by the Arts &
Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission (Arts Commission). Staff for the City's Arts Commission
have overseen the process throughout.
DISCUSSION
Special Projects grant applications were accepted between March 17, 2025, and April 25,
2025. Twelve (12) applications were submitted and considered eligible for funding per the
program guidelines. The collective request for funding across eligible applications in FY 2026
was $80,050.
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 government. The following volunteers served as the review panel,
independently reading and scoring all applications against the previously approved 30-point
rubric:
Page 635 of 678
• Ellen Henkels, Retired Teacher/Artist
• Kara Maxwell, Professional Artist
• Paula Paider-Licht, United Way of Dubuque Area Tri-States
Scoring was received and compiled for Commissioner consideration by staff. The
accompanying scoring and funding scenarios document, listing applicants anonymously by
competitive ranking, was reviewed by the Arts Commission during a Regular Meeting on
Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
Staff had been given instruction by the Arts Commission to fully fund organizations based on
the reviewer scores until funding was depleted. Based on this direction, 5 organizations would
receive their full amount to complete their special projects totaling $28,200. To fund the 6t"
organization would increase the total amount needed to $36,200.
• $8,000 to Dubuque Museum of Art
• $4,000 to The Grand Opera House
• $3,700 to St. Mark's Enrichment
• $8,000 to Dubuque Forward / Culture & Creativity Passion Team
• $4,500 to Northeast Iowa School of Music
• $8,000 to Voices Productions
The above outlines a total of $36,200 in recommended funding. The FY 2026 Special Projects
funding cycle runs from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. Projects will be implemented prior
to June 30, 2026, with final reports due by August 31, 2026.
BUDGETIMPACT
Following discussion, the Arts Commission voted unanimously to allocate the ungranted funds
of $1,200 from the Operating Support grant funding to the Special Projects grant above,
therefore there are no new budget impacts.
RECOMMENDATION/ ACTION STEP
I respectfully request a concurrence with the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission
recommendation to fund the aforementioned FY2026 Special Projects grant applications for
approval by City Council.
CC: Jill Connors, Economic Development Director
Jenny Larson, Finance Director
Page 636 of 678
FY26 SPECIAL PROJECTS GRANT FUNDING
RECOMMENDATIONS
OPTION A:
BasedFunding
Requested
Averag
on Competitive
Organization
Dubuque Museum of Art
8,000.00
27.33
8,000.00
The Grand Opera House
4,000.00
27
4,000.00
St. Mark's Enrichment
3,700.00
26.67
3,700.00
Dubuque Forward
8,000.00
26.66
8,000.00
Northeast Iowa School of
$
$
Music
4,500.00
26.33
4,500.00
Voices
8,000.00
25.33
Groundswell Community
8,000.00
25
AfriWell Hub
8,000.00
25
Dubuque Symphony
$
Orchestra
8,000.00
24.67
Dubuque Arts Council
8,000.00
23.67
Convivium
3,850.00
21
Travel Dubuque/Sister City
8,000.00
18
80,050.00
28,200.00
OPTION B:
BasedFunding
Requested
Averag
on Competitive
Organization
Dubuque Museum of Art
8,000.00
27.33
8,000.00
The Grand Opera House
4,000.00
27
4,000.00
St. Mark's Enrichment
3,700.00
26.67
3,700.00
Dubuque Forward
8,000.00
26.66
8,000.00
Northeast Iowa School of
$
$
Music
4,500.00
26.33
4,500.00
Voices Productions
8,000.00
25.33
8,000.00
Page 637 of 678
Groundswell Community
8,000.00
25
AfriWell Hub
8,000.00
25
Dubuque Symphony
$
Orchestra
8,000.00
24.67
Dubuque Arts Council
8,000.00
23.67
Convivium
3,850.00
21
Travel Dubuque/Sister City
8,000.00
18
80,050.00
36,200.00
Transfer
from
FY26
OS
$
funding
1,200.00
TOTAL
35,000.00
Page 638 of 678