Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture Grants Committee

The Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture (ACAC) Grants Commitee, formerly the Arlington Cultural Council, supports public programs in our community that promote access, education, diversity, and excellence in the arts, humanities and the interpretive sciences. Members of the committee are artists, arts administrators, and other community members with an interest in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences. We are volunteers appointed by the Arlington Select Board for up to two consecutive three-year terms. We are committed to funding a diverse cross-section of activities supporting a broad variety of art forms, ongoing work of individual artists, projects serving specific local populations, and local cultural organizations. Meetings are held monthly and are open to the public, with dates posted on the Town website.

Contact

ACCChair@town.arlington.ma.us
781-316-3020

Address
Select Board's Office, Town Hall
730 Massachusetts Avenue
Arlington, MA 02476-4908

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Application Information

FY26 Allocation

$21,700

FY26 Local Priorities

* The activity is open to the broadest possible range of Arlington residents.
* Arlington-based artists or cultural organizations are leaders of the project.
* The project is planned in collaboration with other Arlington-based groups, agencies, organizations, and businesses.
* Under-utilized or non-traditional venues are activated.
* Outreach includes minority populations.
* The project elevates the voices and experiences of historically marginalized groups.

FY26 Local Guidelines

The Grants Committee of the Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture offers grants annually that typically range from $250 to $1500 to fund arts, humanities, and sciences programs benefiting the community of Arlington. Organizations, agencies, schools, non-profits, libraries, and individuals may apply for grants that support activities in culture, humanities, arts, and sciences benefiting the Arlington community. All applicants must reside or be located in Massachusetts.

An Arts and Culture grant can be used for many purposes in Arlington, such as:
* Using music or art to bring people together, particularly historically marginalized groups
* Activating, elevating, or engaging youth through open mic nights, poetry readings, or storytelling events
* Creating an experiential program that brings interpretive science or history to life for a diverse audience
* Completing a public art installation, a musical composition, or a theatrical performance
* Creating or enhancing an arts program addressing systemic racism, social or environmental justice, or cultural inclusion
* Supporting visual or musical artists whose work defies categorization and is experimental in nature

What are the grant requirements?
* The program must involve the arts, humanities, or sciences.
* The program must have a public benefit for Arlington residents.
* The proposed project cannot discriminate on the basis of age, ability, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, nationality, geographic origin, or immigration, military, or socio-economic status.
* Approved projects must take place between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026.

What makes a good application?
Each year the Grants Committee typically receives grant requests totaling about twice the funds we have available. Therefore we look for proposals that are thoroughly prepared:
* Identify the Arlington location where the event(s) will take place and include confirmations from the venue host.
* Provide dates and times, including duration of program.
* Budget: Include all costs and in-kind donations (i.e., free use of space or donated services) in your budget statement. Include all expenses including space rental, project supplies, marketing, and fees. Account for all project expenses and sources of funding.
* If permits (e.g., permission from the Town to utilize a public park) are needed for your proposal, please identify where you are in the permitting process. While applicants do not need to acquire permits for the application submission, it is highly recommended to begin the planning process.
* If outreach and/or collaboration (e.g., working with a school system) is needed for your proposal, please identify what has been done and cite any related agreements.
* Be succinct and clear. You may include UP TO THREE printable pages of supplemental information in PDF format, per MCC guidelines. (Note that including more than three pages of supplemental information may disqualify an application.)

How Grant Recipients Are Paid

Direct Grants

FY26 Funding List

A grant list will be published here after January 17, 2026 and once the Local Cultural Council has finalized their decisions.