Factory Obscura - Art & Education Grants

Factory Obscura is a for-profit B-Corporation with a mission to support arts education in our community. One of the ways we accomplish this mission is through funding projects and programs in Oklahoma City that enhance access to arts learning, and by supporting the artists at the core of those programs.

Eligible:

  • Projects taking place in the Greater Oklahoma City Metro Area

  • Individual artists

  • Nonprofit and community organizations

  • Schools, teachers, and after-school programs

  • Other groups presenting arts programs

Not eligible:

  • Applicants based outside of Oklahoma. Applicants must be Oklahoma residents, and projects must take place in the OKC Metro.

  • Tuition for degree-seeking programs.

  • For profit businesses

  • Emergency requests

  • Religious or faith-based groups or activities

  • Political organizations or activities

Funding Goals: Grant applications should meet one or more of these goals.

  • Create new and innovative methods for learning through the arts.

  • Provide access to arts education for diverse audiences.

  • Build community through programs that foster collaborative art-making.

  • Support artists by providing opportunities to learn new skills.

Timeline

  • February 27, 2024: Application opens

  • April 15, 2024: Application deadline

  • April 30, 2024: Notification to applicants. Selected applicants will receive funding as soon as signed agreements are received.

  • May 1 - December, 31, 2024: Funded projects must take place within this period

  • Final report due within 30 days of project completion. Form provided.

Funding Amounts

Applicants may request up to $2,500.

Sample eligible projects

These are examples of the range of projects that may be eligible for funding. This is not a comprehensive list, only meant to demonstrate the diversity of applicants who are eligible.

  • Supporting a teaching artist to attend a class or workshop to learn a new skill, which will be incorporated into their educational work.

  • Paying an artist fee to a teaching artist to lead a workshop that is open to the community.

  • Purchasing supplies or paying artist fees for a hands-on arts learning program.

  • Integrating the arts and creative expression into all forms of learning.

Arts eligibility

For the purposes of this grant, Art is defined as: Dance, Design, Folk & Traditional Arts, Literary Arts, Media Arts, Music, Musical Theater, Opera, Multidisciplinary Works, Theater, and Visual Arts.

Scoring Criteria

Applications will be reviewed by an internal committee at Factory Obscura. Scoring criteria include:

  • Artistic qualifications – based on resume/bio of teaching artist or artists

  • Budget clarity/eligibility of requested items

  • Project description – overall clarity/completeness/impact

  • Potential for project to meet one or more of the stated Funding Goals