Community Arts Development (CAD) Grant

Community Arts Development (CAD) Grant is sponsored by LexArts. Funds nonprofit organizations and individual artists producing or presenting activities that contribute to the arts and cultural landscape of Lexington/Fayette County, Kentucky.

Community Arts Development Grants - LexArts Cultural Equity Statement Lexington Youth Arts Council Office and Residential Art Community Arts Development Grants General Operating Support Grants Community Arts Development Grants Hannah Spahn 2026-02-24T14:46:26-05:00 Community Arts Development Grants To help art come to life and touch lives, LexArts supports regional artists and arts organizations through Community Arts Development (CAD) grants awarded on a competitive basis.

CAD grants are specific to a program or project, and can be paid out as a lump sum or over a period of time. All grant applications will be reviewed in a public forum each year. For more information, contact Kay’mon Murrah or Nathan Zamarron .

Thank you for your interest in LexArts support! LexArts is pleased to announce strategic updates to its grantmaking structure, including an adjusted granting cycle and refined funding priorities aligned with evolving community needs. These changes reflect our ongoing commitment to responsible stewardship, transparency, and meaningful investment in Central Kentucky’s arts ecosystem.

The updates were developed following thoughtful review and recommendations from the arts community, LexArts staff and the Board of Directors to ensure our grant programs remain sustainable, equitable, and responsive. LexArts offers Community Arts Development grants that provide funding for organizations and artists to produce or present activities that contribute to the arts and cultural landscape of Lexington/Fayette County.

LexArts will transition to a calendar-year grant cycle for Community Arts Development (CAD) Grants, rather than a fiscal-year cycle. For the 2027 grant period, applications will open in July 2026. This change allows LexArts to responsibly and transparently allocate funds raised during the Fund for the Arts campaign.

LexArts also offers General Operating Support Grants that provide unrestricted general operating funds to arts organizations that demonstrate strong arts mission fulfillment, fiscal responsibility, sound management, and operate on a year-round basis. The General Operating Support (GOS) Grant timeline will continue to follow a fiscal year cycle, with invitations extended to eligible organizations and applications opening in March.

LexArts is dedicated to creating meaningful, measurable, and community-centered impact through the arts. We recognize that strategic investment allows organizations to develop programming that is not only artistically compelling but also deeply responsive to community needs.

To support this commitment, LexArts has established focused areas designed to guide resources toward initiatives that demonstrate the greatest potential for lasting community benefit and impact.

Beginning with the FY 2027 granting cycle, LexArts will introduce the following areas of impact in grant allocation: High-Quality Arts Programming or Beautification General Operating Support (GOS) Grant Timeline Applications Open: March 2, 2026 Application Deadline: April 3, 2026, 11:59 PM Award Notifications: June 19, 2026 Grant Funding Period: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027 Community Arts Development (CAD) Grant Timeline Applications Open: July 3, 2026 CAD Grant Workshops and consultations: July Application Deadline: August 7, 2026, 11:59 PM Award Notifications: September 28, 2026 Grant Funding Period: Calendar Year, January 1, 2027 – December 31, 2027 Community Arts Development (CAD) Grants Community Arts Development Grants provide funding for organizations and artists to produce or present activities that contribute to the arts and cultural landscape of Lexington/Fayette County.

Community Arts Development Grants are awarded for program or project support. Organizations and individual artists wishing to submit an application should review carefully ELIGIBILITY to determine whether to apply for Program or Project support. If you are a first-time applicant or an organization that has not applied for two years or more, it is suggested that you attend a grant application workshop.

Final grant guidelines and application instructions will be made available soon. Below is a link to complete the final reports for FY25 grants. At the corner of Mill and Church.