Mayor Brett Smiley Announces Two New Grant Programs to Support Providence’s Cultural Venues and Festivals  

$750,000 will support improvements to arts facilities and community cultural celebrations

 

PROVIDENCE, RI – Mayor Brett P. Smiley and the Department of Art, Culture and Tourism (ACT) today announced two new grant programs to improve Providence’s cultural facilities and support festivals that celebrate the city’s diverse communities. The Cultural Facilities Improvement Grants program will provide $700,000 over two years for improvements to public arts venues, while the Cultural Festival Grant Fund will provide $50,000 for cultural festivals during fiscal year 2027.

“Providence’s artists and cultural organizations give neighbors countless opportunities to experience art, learn something new and celebrate their heritage,” said Mayor Brett Smiley. “These grants will help organizations improve the spaces that make that work possible and support cultural festivals that bring our neighborhoods together.”

Both programs will be administered by ACT, with funding available for facility repairs and enhancements as well as established, free public cultural festivals.

Cultural Facilities Improvement Grants
The Cultural Facilities Improvement Grants program will support eligible nonprofit organizations with public venues in Providence dedicated to presenting or teaching performance, visual art, writing, music and dance. Funded through ACT’s allocations from the City’s 2020 and 2025 capital improvement bonds, the program will award $350,000 in fiscal year 2027 and an additional $350,000 in fiscal year 2028.

Most awards are expected to range from $25,000 to $100,000, though organizations may request smaller or larger amounts based on their project needs. No matching funds are required.

Eligible applicants must be registered nonprofit organizations that own their facility or hold a qualifying long-term lease. Projects must improve public cultural spaces used by artists, students or audiences and provide improvements lasting at least five years. Administrative offices that are not available to those users are not eligible. Organizations that received a combined $100,000 or more in City grants, subsidies or contracts during fiscal years 2025 and 2026 are also ineligible.

Applications for the first funding round open October 16 and close November 16, 2026. An online information session will be held on Friday, October 30 at 12 pm, and will be available as a recording by Monday November 2. To RSVP, interested participants should contact ACT Deputy Director Rebecca Noon at rnoon@providenceri.gov.

Cultural Festival Grant Fund
The Cultural Festival Grant Fund will provide $50,000 through fiscal year 2027 to support established cultural festivals held in Providence. Organizations may request awards ranging from $1,500 to $4,000.

The fund supports festivals that celebrate a community’s identity, heritage and shared traditions through food, music, dance, art and other cultural expressions. Eligible festivals must be free, open and accessible to the public, take place in Providence by June 30, 2027, and have a total event budget exceeding $8,000. Festivals must also meet the program’s requirements for a history of annual events in Providence, have no religious affiliation and obtain required City special event permits.

An online information session for the Cultural Festival Grant Fund will be held on Wednesday, October 28 at noon. To RSVP, interested participants should contact ACT Special Projects Manager Charlotte Abotsi at cabotsi@providenceri.gov.

Applications for the Cultural Festival Grant Fund will be accepted on a rolling basis beginning November 15, 2026, with a final application deadline of May 15, 2027. Awards may support eligible festival expenses retroactively, subject to program guidelines.

For full eligibility requirements, application materials and information session details for both programs, visit www.artculturetourism.com.