DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs have announced more than $2.3 million in grants have been awarded to 191 Iowa organizations and individuals working in arts, culture, history, humanities, film and media in 69 communities, including Corning, Creston, Council Bluffs, Earlham and Elk Horn.

The grants are designed to support creative placemaking, a strategy that centers arts and culture in community and economic development. The funding supports Iowa’s creative workforce, revitalizes historic districts, launches public art projects, advances film stories “from script to screen” – and more.

Cultural attractions – including museums, performing arts venues, science centers, gardens, film and music festivals – draw in visitors and engage their communities through arts and culture. The new grants support cultural destinations that collectively offer more than six million days of engagement every year.

The grants are administered by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs’ divisions: the Iowa Arts Council; interim Iowa Humanities Council; State Historical Society of Iowa and State Historic Preservation Office of Iowa; and Produce Iowa, the state office of film and media production.

Funding is made possible through annual appropriations from the Iowa Legislature and through state-federal partnerships with the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding comes from the nonprofit State Historical Society of Iowa, Inc., and through the state’s Resource Enhancement and Protection Act, which the legislature enacted to provide funds to preserve, conserve, interpret, enhance and educate the public about Iowa’s historical resources.

The department also supports 60 of Iowa’s leading arts and cultural organizations as Cultural Leadership Partners, which maintain high standards, attract tourists, generate economic activity and sustain high-quality jobs.

The grants announced today are divided into four broad categories:

Arts & Culture
The Iowa Arts Council awarded $1,550,979 in grants to 146 projects in 51 Iowa communities. These grants support a variety of creative placemaking initiatives that combine arts and culture with community development. In addition to the annual grants announced today, the Artist Catalyst Grants, Creative Places Project Grants and School Arts Experience Grants are now offered quarterly, and the next application deadline is Aug. 1.

In southwest Iowa, the Creston Community High School will bring 70 students to Mainframe Studios in Des Moines, as part of its “Create Arts as a Career” workshop. The program is designed to expose rural youth to careers in the arts and creative fields and to help students see that creative people can live, create and thrive in Iowa.

And the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn received a total of $45,000 for two projects including for “The Future of Video Storage.”

Museum of Danish America Visual Storage