This past month, 13 arts organizations in small and rural communities throughout the state of Arizona were awarded $111,000 in Community Catalyst Grants from the Governor-appointed Arizona Commission on the Arts. The competitive grant program was established by a one-time state budget allocation for Fiscal Year 2014 and awarded funding of up to $10,000 to support community-focused partnerships between arts and non-arts organizations in communities with populations fewer than 100,000.

According to Arts Commission Executive Director Robert Booker, these partnerships are viewed as “effective drivers of economic development, cultural tourism, civic pride, neighborhood revitalization, and youth engagement.” Booker also believes that “an investment in such partnerships is really an investment in the whole community.”