Bloomington Arts Commission grant committee chair, Leila Reichert, discusses the Artistic Advancement Grant. (Alaina Davis)
As federal support for the arts continues to decline, local governments like Bloomington are stepping in to help fill the gap. The Bloomington Arts Commission has opened its 2025 Artistic Advancement Grant cycle, offering up to $2,000 to support artists living and working in the city.
Previously known as the Emerging Artist Grant, this program was created four years ago to address a specific need in the local arts community: direct funding for individual artists and small collectives. Grants are available across disciplines including music, dance, theater, visual arts, literature, architecture, and more.
“We designed it to target a need we identified in the artistic community in Bloomington,” said Leila Reichert, grants committee chair for the Bloomington Arts Commission. “Whether they’re studio artists, musicians, bands, theater troupes—really any individual or group of artists who could use a little bit of funding and a little bit of recognition to help advance their professional career.”
The grants have been used for everything from buying supplies to renting recording studios or attending national conferences. Reichert said interest in the program has grown steadily in recent years.
“In our last cycle, we had more than 70 applicants and were able to award about half of those,” Reichert said. “Artists are promoting it on social media and encouraging their peers to apply. It’s been really positive to see that level of community engagement.”
Reichert, who also works at the Eskenazi Museum of Art, said she sees the arts as essential to Bloomington’s cultural identity and quality of life.
“There’s such a great variety of art happening here,” she said. “That interplay between local talent and students coming through the university makes Bloomington an incredibly rich, interesting place to live.”
Applications for the 2025 Artistic Advancement Grant are open through Friday, June 27. The city will also host a free Artist Statement Workshop on Wednesday, May 28, at the Waldron Arts Center to assist prospective applicants.
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