Focus Area Overview

We believe a thriving arts and cultural community – one that is well supported and well recognized – enriches the quality of life for residents and visitors to southeastern Michigan and, in doing so, inspires fresh ideas, spurs innovation and accelerates the creative vitality of the region.

Through deep engagement in the community, and alongside philanthropic partners, we focus our efforts on:

• Building and nurturing a sustainable, vibrant ecosystem of arts and cultural organizations.
• Strengthening the local artist community.
• And identifying ways to incorporate arts and cultural activities across the spectrum of our work in Detroit.

We also have developed a three-part effort that focuses on arts and cultural organizations and artists living and working in metro Detroit’s Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties known as Kresge Arts in Detroit.

Arts Support

We provide unrestricted operating support to small, mid-size and large organizations in the performing, visual and literary arts in metro Detroit’s three-county region. Assistance is also available to institutions engaged in arts service, education and broadcasting. 

Since 2007, we have provided $11.1 million in operating support to 74 small, mid-size and large organizations in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. In 2010, we awarded $4.5 million over two years to 62 organizations.

The Arts Support program is now opened.

Arts and cultural organizations with annual operating budget less than $3 million may apply for two-year grants to support their core programs and services.

• Grants of $5,000 to $15,000 a year will be awarded to organizations with annual budgets of less than $300,000.
• Grants of $10,000 to $50,000 a year will be awarded to organizations with annual budgets between $300,000 and $2,999,999.

Larger arts and cultural organizations have already been invited to apply for support.

The Arts Support grant opportunity is open to:

• Performing-arts organizations that primarily produce and/or present arts and cultural experiences for their communities.
• Visual-arts organizationsthat primarily encourage the creation and /or presentation of visual art forms, and support artists and the visual arts and media arts.
• Literary-arts organizations that primarily encourage participation in and/or provide opportunities in creative literary expression and presentation.
• Collecting organizations that primarily offer activities and programs involving physical collections and exhibits which are open to the public and explore the relationships between cultural understanding and creative expression, such as museums and zoos. 
• Film, video and public broadcasting organizations that focus a large part of their programming on arts and culture, fostering creativity for their audiences, and which provide opportunities for other cultural organizations to reach the broader public.
• Arts service organizations that primarily provide opportunities for artists and/or support and training for other arts and cultural organizations, such as management service organizations, advocacy organizations and arts councils.
• Arts education organizations that primarily concentrate on arts education for students outside the K-12 classroom, such as after-school theater and dance organizations and student visual arts activities.
• Organizations that are a subsidiary or division of a larger organization that can demonstrate an independent identity and governance structure. 
  

   

Eligibility 

Who may apply? Organizations:

• Incorporated in the State of Michigan, located in and serving the City Detroit, Wayne, Oakland or Macomb counties.
• With a main mission clearly connected to arts, culture and creativity as the primary purpose of the organization.
• With a record of presenting programs to the public for at least two years.
• With the equivalent of at least one full-time person on staff (Instructions for calculating full-time equivalents are included in this guide.)
• That have IRS 501(c)(3) designation or operate under a public college/university or government entity. 
• That can provide an independently prepared audit or, for organizations with annual budgets of $250,000 or less, a qualified review of the most recently completed fiscal year.

Who may not apply? 

• Elementary and secondary schools.
• Religious organizations.
• For-profit organizations.
• Individuals.
• College, community college or university programs that concentrate primarily on degree-granting.

Information about the application process follows below.

Artist Fellowships

Through the Kresge Artist Fellowships, we seek to advance the art forms and professional careers of artists from the visual, performing and literary arts and to elevate the profile of the artistic community.

Each year, we provide funding for 12 to 24 fellowships of $25,000 each. They are awarded to visual, performing and literary artists living and working in metropolitan Detroit.

The Artist Fellowships are administered by the Detroit-based College for Creative Studies, one of the nation’s leading institutions for art and design education.

Applications have been accepted for 2012 fellowships. The deadline was Feb. 1.

Eminent Artist Award

Through the Kresge Eminent Artist Award, we recognize an exceptional artist for his or her professional achievements and contributions to the cultural community.

The award also encourages that individual’s pursuit of a chosen art form and an ongoing commitment to metropolitan Detroit. The award, which includes a $50,000 prize, is administered by the College for Creative Studies.

Application Process

The Detroit Arts Support grant opportunity is now opened. The application is a one-step process.  You may begin your application here.

Grants will be made within a competitive review process based on strength of programming. Peer review panels will review applications and make recommendations. Our program staff will make final funding decisions.

There’s additional guidance about the review criteria and necessary documentation within our online-application system.  For your convenience, that information is also available for download.

Applications must be received by 5 p.m. (EST) June 4 to be considered.

The fellowships and eminent artist programs are administered by the Detroit-based College for Creative Studies.

Our Detroit team members are deeply engaged in the community and proactively invite other proposals funded through the Detroit Program.