Funding Categories
Funding Categories
Please see the FY2026 Guidelines here for complete program descriptions and eligibility criteria.
Creative Support Funding
Through Creative Support Funding we support arts organizations and other presenters for program activities in the performing arts, visual arts, literary arts, media arts, multidisciplinary arts (involving more than one discipline), and interdisciplinary arts (relating to two or more artistic disciplines). Funding can be used for a single event, several events, or an organization’s entire season.
The following application categories are available for Creative Support Funding:
Community Arts
Community Arts funding supports arts organizations statewide with small budgets for arts presenting activities. The activities are aimed at serving the general public in the community in which they are located. Community Arts is designed to help small organizations continue, strengthen, and expand current programs and audiences. Organizations with actual last completed fiscal year unrestricted income of $0-$99,999, excluding in-kind should apply in Community Arts.
Arts Projects
Arts Projects funding supports organizations statewide with medium-sized budgets for arts presenting activities. Organizations with actual last completed fiscal year unrestricted income of $100,000-$749,999, excluding in-kind should apply in Arts Projects.
Major Cultural Organizations
Major Cultural Organizations funding supports larger organizations statewide for arts presenting activities. Organizations with actual last completed fiscal year unrestricted income of more than $750,000, excluding in-kind should apply in Major Cultural Organizations.
Colleges, Universities, and Government Entities
Colleges, Universities, and Government Entities funding supports colleges and universities, local and county governments, and Indian tribal government entities for arts presenting activities especially those who serve as a primary arts presenter and/or key provider of arts services in their local community. Programs must be marketed and accessible to the general public in addition to students, faculty, and staff.
Arts in Social Service
Arts in Social Service funding supports arts organizations or social service organizations for arts-based projects that focus on addressing social issues with a primary purpose of reaching specific populations (people who are incarcerated, homeless, abused, ill, etc.) or fosters artistic activity that formally encourages civic dialogues on important social issues (the environment, crime, etc.).
Arts Learning: In Schools & In Community
New Mexico Arts offers two grant categories for arts education projects with K-12 school-age children: Arts Learning in Schools and Arts Learning in Community. Charter schools and 501 (c) (3) private schools and 501 (c) (3) organizations may apply for themselves. Public schools must apply through the parent-teacher organization if that organization is a 501 (c) (3) or through the school district.
Arts Learning in Schools
Arts Learning in Schools supports a wide range of programs taking place in K-12 schools either during school hours or during after-school programs. The programs may focus on creative process arts activities, arts activities integrated into other content areas, art history, or arts education professional development. In school residencies with individual artists are also included in this category (note: applicants for residencies cannot be individuals and the applicant must be a charter school, 501 (c) 3 private school, school district, or 501 (c) 3 organization.
Arts Learning in Community
Arts Learning in Community supports arts learning for K-12 school-age children outside of a school setting. These programs focus on creative process arts activities or the development of specific artistic skills and take place in 501 (c) 3 arts organizations. (Projects that take place in a K-12 public or a private school should apply in Arts Learning in Schools. Organizations whose primary purpose is the education of K-12 school-age students should apply in this category. Examples of these organizations include youth symphonies, teen performing arts organizations, visual arts education providers, and dance institutes.
Local Arts Councils and Service Organizations
Local Arts Councils and Service Organizations are incorporated tax-exempt organizations or agencies of government or Indian tribal entities and tax-exempt service organizations that provide services to artists, arts organizations, or in the field of arts education.
New Mexico Arts defines a local arts council as “a community organization or an agency of local government that supports cultural organizations, provides services to artists and arts organizations, and/or presents arts programming to the public.” A service organization is defined as “an organization with a membership or constituency that spans a city, region or the state; that offers services to artists, arts organizations, or in the field of arts education; that promotes the arts through advocacy efforts; and/or provides arts information services to the public.” Please contact New Mexico Arts to determine if this is the correct funding category.
Traditional Folk Arts Projects
Traditional Folk Arts Projects funding supports organizations, Indian tribal government entities, local governments, and universities whose programs further, showcase, and help to perpetuate folk and traditional arts being practiced in New Mexico.
Folk and traditional arts are the culturally specific traditional, functional, and expressive arts practiced and passed down within a community. Folk arts reflect the values and worldviews of the groups that create them and are part of a rich and valuable heritage for all New Mexicans.
Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program
The purpose of the Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program is to sustain folk and traditional arts practiced in New Mexico by contracting with master artists to teach their art forms to dedicated apprentices. Folk and traditional arts are culturally specific, traditional, functional, and expressive arts practiced and passed down within a community.
Please see the FY2026 Folk Arts Apprentice Program Funding Guidelines and Application here.
Arts and the Military Program
The Arts and the Military Program supports arts organizations and collaborates with veteran focused organizations to create and expand opportunities for veterans and active-duty service members to engage with the arts. The program offers financial support via mini grants that meaningfully engage veteran and veteran military connected audiences, provides tools and resources about the needs of veteran and military audiences, and helps build capacity in nonprofits, government agencies and art organizations in serving veterans through arts programs. See current Arts and the Military Funding Opportunities here.
Page header image, Valdez Autumn Valley by Krysteen Waszak
