Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona : 2027 stART Grant Funding Opportunity
The Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona is a regional nonprofit arts agency. Serving Tucson, Pima County, and Tribal Nations throughout Southern Arizona, the Foundation supports individual artists, cultural organizations, and community-based arts initiatives while promoting civic engagement, cultural vitality, and equitable access to the arts.
2027 stART Grant (Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona)
The 2027 stART Grant is a community-focused funding opportunity designed to support arts projects, creative professional development, and community engagement initiatives throughout Southern Arizona. The program provides flexible, entry-level funding to individual artists, artist collectives, community groups, nonprofit organizations, and fiscally sponsored projects, making it one of the Foundation's most accessible grant opportunities. For NeuroArts practitioners, the stART Grant is particularly relevant because it can support projects at the intersection of arts, health, well-being, community healing, creative aging, mental health, storytelling, social connection, and arts-based engagement.
Who Can Apply?
- Individual artists
- Artist groups and collectives
- Community groups
- Co-ops
- Fiscally sponsored organizations
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations
Applicants must be located within the Arts Foundation service area, including Tucson, South Tucson, Pima County, the Tohono O'odham Nation, and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.
Funding Amount
- Awards of up to $3,000 per project.
Eligible Activities
Projects may include:
- Community arts and wellness programming
- Creative aging initiatives
- Arts-based mental health and healing projects
- Storytelling and narrative medicine programs
- Public engagement and community-building activities
- Artist professional development and skill-building
- Collaborative arts projects serving underserved communities
- Workshops, exhibitions, performances, and participatory arts experiences
Previous Awards & Impact
The stART Grant has funded dozens of artists, collectives, and organizations across Southern Arizona. According to the Arts Foundation, the 2025 stART Grant distributed $147,885 to 52 artists, collectives, and nonprofit organizations, supporting projects that strengthened local arts ecosystems, expanded community participation, and increased access to creative opportunities.
2027 Funding Cycle
- Open Date: May 27, 2026
- Application Deadline: June 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM Arizona Time
- Award Amount: Up to $3,000
- Status: Opening Soon / Annual Cycle Expected to Continue
How to Apply
Applications are submitted through the Arts Foundation's online Submittable portal. Applicants must describe their project, intended community impact, project budget, and how funding will support artistic or community goals. Applications undergo a competitive peer-review process.
NeuroArts Relevance
The stART Grant is especially well-suited for:
- Arts and health initiatives
- Creative aging programs
- Community wellness projects
- Arts-based interventions for mental health
- Storytelling and narrative medicine
- Social prescribing and community engagement
- Programs addressing loneliness, belonging, and quality of life through the arts
The Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona has increasingly emphasized the role of the arts in health, well-being, social connection, and community resilience. In addition to traditional grantmaking, the Foundation supports partnerships between artists, public health organizations, and community groups to address mental health, healing, belonging, and quality of life through creative engagement.
A notable example is SaludArte, a partnership with the Pima County Health Department that supports artists working with individuals affected by substance use disorders to create public art that promotes healing, reduces stigma, and strengthens community dialogue.
The Foundation has also demonstrated a significant investment in arts-based well-being through its grantmaking efforts, distributing more than $3.2 million to 672 artists and arts organizations through 16 grant programs between 2020 and 2024. Foundation leadership has highlighted the arts' ability to inspire, heal, foster belonging, strengthen social connectedness, and improve community well-being—making the organization and its grants particularly relevant to NeuroArts projects focused on health, wellness, recovery, creative aging, storytelling, and community resilience.
