The Hillsborough Arts Council has been enriching the lives of Hillsborough County residents through arts and culture for more than 50 years. It provides an essential support system for local artists, allowing them to thrive and enhance the way we live, work and play. It also invests in local artists, arts organizations and arts programs to enhance access to culture in every corner of Hillsborough County. Whether you’re an organization, a local artist or an art lover, the Hillsborough Arts Council exists to ignite the arts within our community.
The Arts Council of Hillsborough County has offered grants to the community since 1989, when the council first established the Professional Development for Artists Grant. Then, in 1991, the council established the Cultural Development Grant program, followed by the establishment of the Community Arts Impact Grant program in 2018.
“The Special Event Partnership Grant program, previously administered by Hillsborough County’s Department of Economic Development, was placed under the management of the Arts Council during March of 2023,” said Martine Collier, division director of the Arts Council Division. “Most recently, in January of 2025, the Historic Preservation Challenge Grant program, also previously administered by Economic Development, was placed under the management of the Arts Council. In total, for the 2025 fiscal year, the Arts Council manages a budget close to $3 million in grant funding for organizations, individual artists, cultural events and historic preservation in our community.”
Each grant program has different priorities, which align with the specific program objectives. The Professional Development for Artists Grant is open to working artists at any stage of their career and prioritizes providing training or equipment to assist the artists in their career trajectory.
The Cultural Development Grant provides general operating support for cultural nonprofits with arts as a primary mission and prioritizes support of existing programs and improving access to residents.
The Community Arts Impact Grant provides funding to any nonprofit for programming of a cultural nature or to a department of a college or university providing cultural programming for the community. It prioritizes expanding access to arts and multidisciplinary collaboration.
The Special Event Partnership Grant provides funding to nonprofits hosting events anywhere within Hillsborough County. It prioritizes tourism and community development.
The Historic Preservation Challenge Grant is open to for-profit businesses, nonprofit organizations and religious organizations. It provides 1-to-1 matching funds for construction/renovation of historic properties. A second component of the program matches funding for heritage tourism development by nonprofits only.
To learn more or how to apply for its various art grants, you can visit its website at https://hillsborougharts.org.
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