A vibrant mural on a brick building depicts two people hugging.
Silvia López Chavez for Street Theory

Nurturing community by connecting people to creative spaces that welcome all

Communities can tap the power of the arts to activate spaces where people of all backgrounds feel welcomed, celebrated, and empowered. These spaces—in buildings, parks, public squares, or anyplace people might gather—can become inclusive platforms, where understanding across differences blooms, relationships deepen, and possibilities flourish.  

Our grantmaking priorities are to:

  • Integrate arts and creativity in inclusive, community-engaged planning and economic development, energizing these processes and fueling more robust strategies for community vitality. 
  • Foster arts practices and spaces that enable collective imagination, community ownership, and civic participation.  
  • Infuse creativity in public spaces to welcome all people, celebrate diverse perspectives, and inspire new ways of thinking about community challenges.

Grantmaking Inquiries

Grants awarded by the Barr Foundation originate in different ways. The majority are initiated by staff based on their ongoing engagement with grantee partners and the broader field. Given the value we place on long-term partnerships, many grants are renewed for current grantees.

Please note that Barr invests in long-term systems change work as outlined in our strategy and — with exceedingly rare exception — does not fund individual artists, individual projects, or programs. For those who feel their work may align with Barr’s priorities, the best approach is to complete this form.

Please allow up to 6 weeks for a response. For additional resources that might support your organization, please check out our Resources for Grant Seekers post.