The Georgetown Arts and Culture Board awards grants twice a year for art, music, theatre, dance, literary, and cultural heritage events and programs taking place in Georgetown. The City of Georgetown Arts and Culture Board considers all applicants without attention to the following – which includes but is not limited to – race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

Starting June 1, 2026, the board will invite grant proposals for events and programs occurring between October 1, 2026 – March 31, 2027, as part of the 2026 Round II grant period. The deadline for submitting for this grant period is June 30, 2026.

Eligible requests: Nonprofit organizations, schools, and informal arts and culture organizations creating arts and culture programming or an event open to the public are eligible to apply. Eligible requests include equipment and supplies specific to the event or program that is occurring during the period of performance and necessary for the event/program to occur. Eligible applicants must be in good standing with a history of timely reporting and grant fulfillment requirements if previous Arts and Culture grants have been awarded. As this grant program is funded by the Hotel Occupancy Tax, programs must demonstrate economic impact through cultural tourism and encouragement of overnight hotel bookings (e.g., programs that may attract out-of-town visitors who also attend other arts & culture venues or events, stay overnight, shop, or dine in Georgetown). Please review this page as your organization considers programming that promotes tourism: View the Memorandum of Understanding between Texans for the Arts and the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association. Programming and events must also be open to the public.

Ineligible requests: Organizations that received funding in the 2026 Round I grant period are not eligible to apply for 2026 Round II. For profit businesses are not eligible to apply for Arts and Culture grant funding. Additional ineligible requests include food/beverage expenses, start-up costs or general operating expenses, and capital improvements.

The Georgetown Arts and Culture Grants help the Arts and Culture Board fulfill bylaw requirements which include recognizing and encouraging groups and organizations that enrich Georgetown life by bringing cultural and artistic values and artifacts to the City.  Members of the Arts and Culture Board believe a vibrant arts community and cultural offerings are good for the quality of life for residents, will attract visitors, and will assist Georgetown in becoming a nationally recognized arts destination by 2030.  The grant program helps develop and strengthen our local arts community by contributing funding to arts and culture programming that enhances our local community.

Some of the information requested will be:

• Contact information for someone readily available to answer questions about the proposal
• Purpose and description of the event or project
• Total budget
• Amount being requested
• Anticipated funding sources that must fund (match) at least 30% of the total budget (e.g., donations, ticket sales, other grants)
• Date, location, admission charge, and anticipated attendance
• Size and demographic makeup of past audiences or participants
• If applying for organization development funding, you will be asked to provide the name of the facilitator or facilitating organization, the organizational development proposal and scope of work, as well as the cost of the program.
• Description of how the grant will help your organization fulfill its mission.

Special consideration will be given to events or projects that meet one or more of these criteria:

• Are free admission; are open and accessible to the public
• Include outreach to populations that are traditionally underrepresented

Organizations or individuals that receive funding will be required to follow up by:

• Complete a grant agreement form and vendor application before funds are disbursed
• Recognizing the City of Georgetown Arts and Culture Board in their advertising and programs
• Submitting a one-page narrative report to the Arts and Culture Board with a description of the use of grant funds and copies of event promotion materials
• Submit a financial report form by September 30, 2026

If you have questions, please email Amanda Still at amanda.still@georgetowntexas.gov or call 512-930-8471.

Call for Artist Entries: 2026-2027 Annual Georgetown Sculpture Tour

The City of Georgetown Arts and Culture Program sponsors an annually rotating Sculpture Tour in the Downtown Georgetown Cultural District and surrounding areas of the Georgetown community.

Application Deadline: August 1st, 2026

Project Description:

Beginning June 1st, 2026, The City of Georgetown’s Arts and Culture Board will invite artist entries for the 2026-2027 Annual Georgetown Sculpture Tour – a juried, year-long outdoor exhibition in Georgetown’s historic Cultural District and surrounding areas of the Georgetown community. Each artist may submit up to (3) sculptures for consideration.

Eligibility:

This opportunity is open to all professional artists over the age of 18.

Stipends:

All sculptures selected for the 2026-2027 Sculpture Tour will receive a cash prize awarded by the City of Georgetown Arts & Culture Board, which includes (1) $2,500 First Prize, (1) $2,000 Second Prize, (1) $1,500 Third Prize, and up to (12) $1000 Honorable Mention awards. Judging will occur in October 2026, and checks will be mailed in November 2026. Prizes will be announced in October at the Autumn Art Stroll Sculpture Tour Awards + Concert on October 16, 2026!  The Arts and Culture Program will receive a 25% commission on any sculpture sold during the exhibit period.

Installation date:

Installations will take place the first week of October 2026 by appointment. Delivery and pickup are the artist’s responsibility; sculptures will be installed by City of Georgetown Parks and Recreation staff working with the artist. Sculptures will be removed in October 2027 by appointment.

Apply:

Submit your application through Submittable.com between June 1st and August 1st, 2026.

Selection:

From the entries submitted by the August 1stdeadline, the City of Georgetown Arts and Culture Board will select up to (15) pieces for the 2026-2027 Annual Georgetown Sculpture Tour. All applicants will be notified of the board’s decision for inclusion in the tour in August 2026. Prize winners will be selected by the Arts and Culture Board in October 2026.

Application Fee:

None

Questions:

Contact Amanda Still at 512-930-8471 orAmanda.still@georgetowntexas.gov

About the Downtown Georgetown Cultural District:

The Georgetown Arts and Culture Board maintains the Texas Commission on the Arts Cultural District designation and implements the Georgetown Arts and Culture Program. The Georgetown Arts and Culture Program enhances quality of life for residents and visitors of Georgetown by promoting community engagement, cultural participation, and cultural tourism through public art programming and arts and culture collaborations. This program will help the Board fulfill the vision of becoming a nationally recognized arts destination by 2030.

Selection Criteria:

Up to 15 pieces will be selected by the Georgetown Arts and Culture Board based on the following criteria:

• Artistic ability as demonstrated in examples of work submitted
• Evidence of experience creating durable and sustainable outdoor sculpture
• Experience with public art projects
• Willingness and ability to meet contractual guidelines and deadlines
• Ability to fulfill submission guidelines

Submission Guidelines:

Each sculptor may submit up to (3) sculptures for consideration. The following will be submitted online through Submittable:

Contact information

• Full Name, address, telephone number, e-mail address

Sculpture Description

• Title of sculpture
• A literal description of the sculpture
• Message, meaning, or symbolism of the piece
• Materials
• Dimensions
• Pad Size Requirement
• Weight
• Price

Images of Sculpture

• Proposals must include at least two images of each piece from different angles (upload)
• Please submit a separate entry per sculpture; each artist may submit up to (3) sculptures for consideration

Support materials/Previous work

• Proposals should be accompanied by 5 to 10 images of previous work (upload)
• An artist statement describing sculpture experience and interest in exhibiting

Additional Requirements

• The sculpture must be a minimum of 3 feet in height
• The sculpture must be able to withstand pedestrian traffic and touch, as well as normal outdoor weather conditions
• The sculpture design must be installation-ready and allow for piece to be bolted directly to the sculpture pad with installation “tabs” in place or weigh enough to be secure without bolts
• Artist must be able to deliver and pick up artwork within the specified timeline

Anticipated Timeline:

Call to Artists – June 1st – August 1st, 2026

• Up to 15 pieces selected by board and artists notified in August 2026
• Contracts executed and installation appointments made with Arts and Culture Coordinator – August/September 2026
• Installation by appointment – First week of October 2026
• Prizes announced in October during an opening ceremony for the Georgetown Sculpture Tour on October 15, 2026!
• Checks mailed in November 2026
• De-installation of sculptures in October 2027

Marketing Efforts:  Sculptures will be featured on the visit.georgetown.org website on the dedicated Georgetown Sculpture Tour page, as well as a section on the public art collection page. The Sculpture Tour page includes a link to an online map of the tour. Each sculpture will have an on-site title sign created with pricing and QR code link to its unique page on the website. Each sculpture on the tour will also be featured in a printed Public Art Directory and foldable map that is available for visitors and patrons wishing to take a walking tour. A press release of the award winners and honorable mention recipients will be created by the City of Georgetown.