Current Opportunities and Upcoming Deadlines
The Iowa Arts Council is accepting applications for its Fall Cycle of Art Project Grants and a series of Arts Capacity Building programs for artists, organizations and communities. Learn more about each opportunity and note the upcoming deadlines:
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Art Project Grants
Art Project Grants create opportunities for Iowans to access and engage with high quality arts and cultural projects. The Iowa Arts Council invites applications from eligible artists and organizations for projects that will take place during the funding period of November 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. Those already awarded funding for FY2026 are ineligible to apply.
The deadline to apply is September 23, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
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Arts Capacity-Building Programs
Each program is designed to increase skills, strengthen the overall capacity and address the distinct needs of Iowa artists, organizations and communities. The deadline for all three programs is August 26, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
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The Iowa Artist Career Accelerator provides peer learning and mentorship opportunities, business development resources and funding to Iowa artists to catalyze momentum in their artistic practices and increase their professional skills and capacity.
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The Iowa Culture Leadership Cohort is a two-year program for small to midsize arts and culture nonprofit organizations to build leadership skills in operations, sustainability and programming through professional development workshops, peer learning, mentorship and technical assistance from outside consultants.
- The Creative Places Accelerator is a multi-year program where cross-sector community teams from small to midsize Iowa communities develop arts-based projects to serve as catalysts for livability, economic development and community connectedness.
Applicants should review the guidelines for each program and reach out to the appropriate Program Manager with questions about their application.
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Iowa Art Caucus
On Friday, August 8, the Iowa Arts Council gathered fellow regional arts leaders, creatives and cultural advocates for a collaborative day of connection, reflection and action at the Iowa Art Caucus. Together we built on the work of the Regional Arts Forums (RAFs) and shaped collective recommendations that strengthen arts and culture across our state.
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Spring Grants Cycle Awards
The Iowa Arts Council has posted its spring FY2026 grant awards across eight programs: Arts Project Grants, Certified Film Festivals, Cultural Capacity Building, Cultural Leadership Partners, Greenlight Grants, Iowa Artist Fellowship, Iowa Screenwriters Grants and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship. Congratulations to all of the recipients!
Announcing the 2025-26 Iowa Artist Fellows
Congratulations to the 2025-26 Iowa Artist Fellows, who were recommended by a panel of Iowans and selected from a pool of nearly 50 applicants. We look forward to seeing their contributions to Iowa’s artistic landscape over the years to come!
- Eloy Barragán | Dance | Iowa City
- Nicholas Cladis | Papermaking | Iowa City
- Kelly Devitt | Sculpture | Creston
- Susan Metrican | Painting | Fairfield
- Jason Snell | Interdisciplinary | Cedar Rapids
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2025 Governor’s Art Award Spotlight: Arts Legacy Award
The Iowa Arts Council recognized 10 individuals and organizations with the 2025 Governor’s Arts Awards, which honor Iowans who have made lasting contributions to the vitality of the arts in Iowa.
This month we are proud to spotlight this year’s Arts Legacy Awardee, which recognizes an individual, nonprofit organization or community that has had a particularly significant impact on the arts in Iowa over time.
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Craig Ihnen
Craig Ihnen served as executive director of the Iowa High School Speech Association for nearly three decades and was honored for his lifelong dedication to fostering artistic expression and excellence in speech and performing arts education. Congratulations, Craig!
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Certified Film Festivals in a Theater Near You
Plan your outing to one of Iowa’s Certified Film Festivals in a town near you or use our CFF Road Map to make it a road trip.
Happening Soon
Iowa Independent Film Festival | September 4-6, 2025
Sioux City International Film Festival | October 2-5, 2025
Refocus Film Festival | October 9-12, 2025
Halloweenapalooza Film Festival | October 10-11, 2025
Cedar River Film Festival | October 31 - November 1, 2025
Open Submissions
Cedar River Film Festival | Final Deadline August 18, 2025
Halloweenapalooza Film Festival | Final Deadline August 31, 2025
Oneota Film Festival | Final Deadline August 31, 2025
Farm to Film Fest | Final Deadline January 8, 2026
Julien Dubuque International Film Festival | Final Deadline January 25, 2026
Monthly Spotlights
Iowa Independent Film Festival – Movie House
The Iowa Independent Film Festival is all about celebrating the power of storytelling through the lens of independent film. Our goal is to empower emerging filmmakers, promote artistic excellence, and cultivate an inclusive environment where independent film can bring awareness and meaningful conversation that challenge everyday views to the communities of Mason City and Clear Lake, Iowa.
Sioux City International Film Festival – Electric Theater
The Sioux City International Film Festival showcases a variety of independent short films from all around the world and promotes independent films to the people of Sioux City and the surrounding region. Each day of the festival a different genre of film is featured. Audience Choice winners receive a certificate and the overall audience favorite receives a Siouxette trophy.
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Iowans Create Mural Unveiled in Manchester
The city of Manchester unveiled a new mural in July following months of planning and preparation. Located in a highly visible downtown setting, “Spring Branch” celebrates the region's natural resources and recreational assets and reflects the town’s unique cultural and creative identity. Manchester worked with Iowa artist Thomas Agran to develop and create the large-scale mural.
The project was supported through the Iowans Create Community Mural Contest, managed by the Iowa Arts Council and funded by the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Manchester was selected as the 2024 contest winner, following an online voting period during which more than 5,600 Iowans cast votes for 30 participating communities and independent judging of the 14 finalists.
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Apply Now: Creative Places Webinar Series Request for Proposals
The Iowa Arts Council is seeking proposals from qualified individuals and organizations to design and lead a series of webinars as part of its Creative Places webinar series.
Review the Request for Proposals Document and Request for Proposals Application.
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Call for Community Hosts: Iowa Creative Places Exchange
The Iowa Creative Places Exchange is an annual gathering of Iowans working to enhance community and economic development outcomes by leveraging the arts, culture and creativity. Attendees share and learn about ideas, resources, and solutions for building stronger communities through cross-sector partnerships with the arts and artists and successful approaches to creative place-making and keeping.
The Iowa Arts Council is seeking hosts for the 2026 and 2027 events. The Exchange is typically held annually in early May, with hosts receiving support from the Iowa Arts Council,
Communities interested in hosting should submit the host form by September 5, 2025 to receive full consideration. Contact program manager Jon Berg with questions.
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Explore the New Creative Places Pathway
The Creative Places Pathway is a roadmap that any Iowa community, regardless of size, can follow to improve community and economic development outcomes by leveraging arts, culture and creativity. Communities following the Pathway form a shared vision and set of prioritized projects that build upon their local assets in the arts, culture and heritage and authentic sense of place.
As partners with the Iowa Arts Council (IAC), communities following the Pathway may:
- Access technical assistance and training.
- Attend convenings that provide opportunities for peer learning and mentorship, share best practices and exchange ideas.
- Apply for competitive funding opportunities tailored to creative places.
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Receive recognition for impactful projects and successes.
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Success Stories
We love to celebrate the successes of Arts & Culture in our Iowa communities! Check out the stories below and cheer along with us. Have a success story that you want to share?
Send it to our team!
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Iowa Artist Explores Invisible Labor and Grief
Catherine Reinhart, interdisciplinary artist from Ames, creates fiber art, sculpture and socially engaged art using abandoned materials. Using human hair, thrifted domestic textiles, and worn work wear, the artist creates contemporary art about labor, connection and care. Her work asks, “What is lost & what is held?”.
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Labor Objects: gloves by Catherine Reinhart (Image Credit: Brittany Brooke Crow, 2024)
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Des Moines Metro Opera featured in The New York Times
The Des Moines Metro Opera, an IAC Cultural Leadership Partner, is the subject of a major feature in The New York Times. The article spotlights their bold productions, thriving summer festival and growing international reputation. Read the Times profile.
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River City Riverwalk Unveiled
Located on the banks of Willow Creek in downtown Mason City, the River City Riverwalk fulfills a vision to link more than 20 miles and 600 acres of trail and parks and celebrates the community's unique connection between architecture, art, music, nature and outdoor recreation. The riverwalk is anchored by the Harmony in Light gateway sculpture, which draws inspiration from classic Prairie School designs and creates a highly visible and welcoming gateway to the River City.
A video showcases the sculpture's themes and the creative team that developed the project.
The River City Riverwalk was supported by Destination Iowa funding from the Iowa Economic Development Authority and a grant from the Iowa Arts Council.
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Beyond the Clock with Siriaco “Siricasso” Garica
In this episode, Anna Claussen (Voices for Rural Resilience) and Ash Hanson (Department of Public Transformation) talk with Central Iowa muralist and organizer Siriaco “Siricasso” Garcia about the power of art to bring visibility to diversity in rural communities. His vibrant work highlights the beauty, resilience, and rich diversity or rural Iowa in bold and healthy ways, listen to the podcast episode.
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Accessibility Spotlight
The Freedom of Expression (FOE) Project, launched by Iowa artist Jill Wells and Midwest arts accessibility leader Katie Flippen, provides a year-long mentorship opportunity for 12 Iowa-based artists, of all abilities, who work across all media. Artists chosen for the mentorship receive personalized guidance, professional development, research assistance, and dedicated studio space. The program culminates in a public group art exhibition, where the artists showcase their work from the mentorship year.
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The FOE Project’s biennial exhibition, The World We Build, kicks-off in Des Moines with an event at Curate on the evening of September 16. The event includes an adaptive fashion show and launch of a traveling exhibition, which will also be shown at the Des Moines Art Center and Mainframe Studios.
Follow along on FOE’s Instagram for behind-the-scenes artist takeovers, creative previews, and media features that spotlight the stories, processes and practices shaping this work.
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Other State Resources
Empower Rural Iowa Grants
Empower Rural Iowa currently has an open application cycle for FY26 grant programs. Program details and grant guidelines are posted on the Center for Rural Revitalization website. Applications will be accepted across four programs: BOOST, Innovation-Housing 2.0, Child Care Planning Grant and Rural Housing Readiness Assessment Grant.
The deadline to apply via IowaGrants is August 29, 2025 at 4 p.m. Contact Sacha Wise, Empower Rural Iowa Director, at sacha.wise@iowaeda.com with questions.
Iowa Tourism Marketing Grants
The Iowa Tourism Marketing Grant program provides funding for tourism partners around the state to market Iowa's places, attractions and events to out-of-state audiences. Successful applicants are executing marketing campaigns and initiatives that benefit both the state and local economies.
Applications will be available at the end of August. Learn more and apply.
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NEA and Arts Midwest Resources
Now Accepting Applications: GIG Fund
The GIG Fund is back, and applications are now open for the 2025-2026 cycle. Through this grant, nonprofits can request up to $15,000 to bring a professional artist into their community and host creative, engaging public activities between December 2025 to June 2026.
New this year, the GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness track supports artist-driven community wellness programming. Funds may support performances, workshops, creative aging programs, artist residencies in healthcare settings, initiatives that engage veterans and more.
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If you’re part of a Midwestern organization that wants to host an arts project or activity, apply today!
The Intent to Apply is due September 15, 2025, with final applications due September 29, 2025.
5 Tips for Connecting Your Arts Programming to Wellness
Did you know that the arts can help reduce isolation and loneliness? Arts programming can be a powerful tool for community wellness, strengthening social connections, fostering belonging and supporting collective resilience.
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Events and Opportunities
Be sure to check out our calendar for upcoming Iowa Arts Council and Produce Iowa related events.
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