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Funding resources for art in Boston

Find out how to get funding for an art project that improves the quality of life in the City.

There are several resources for artists looking for funding. The Boston Cultural Council awards grants each year for art projects throughout the City. We created a page with more information about these grants.

Public art funding

There are also funds for people who want to create art to enhance the City’s public spaces. We fund artists who have ideas for permanent or temporary public art projects:

The Edward Ingersoll Browne Fund

Edward Ingersoll Browne, a trust attorney who loved his community, created this fund in 1892. He gave one-third of his estate to this fund. The money goes toward projects that will improve public spaces.

The deadline is March 15. Visit the Browne Fund website for more information:

Edward Ingersoll Browne Fund

Fund for The Arts

Funding for this public program is through the New England Foundation for the Arts. They look for projects that bring artists and nonprofits together. These projects should engage audiences and inspire others to take part in the arts. Visit the New England Foundation for the Arts website for more information.

Henderson Fund

George B. Henderson created the Henderson Fund in 1964. Projects must make Boston more beautiful, and need to be able to be seen from a public area. Interior projects must be in a building that's open to the public for most of the year. Visit the Henderson Fund website for more information.

The Percent for Art Program

The Percent for Art Program is a critical outcome of the Boston Creates cultural plan, which called for:

"integrating arts and culture into all aspects of civic life, inspiring all Bostonians to value, practice, and reap the benefits of creativity in their individual lives and in their communities." 

Who's involved

Through the program, we set aside one percent of the City’s annual capital borrowing budget for the commissioning of public art. The Percent for Art Program is administered by the:

We also work with:
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