The most visible lasting effect of One Spark crowdfunding festival is the public art that has become part of the streetscape.
Several participants created visual enhancements as their entry in the competition, in the form of murals on blank spaces or graphics on formerly boarded windows.
To sustain the movement to create more streetscape art, the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville is facilitating the "Spark Grant" program.
Artists and nonprofit organizations in Baker, Clay, Duval Nassau and St. Johns counties are eligible to apply for funding for permanent or temporary visual art; functional art such as bicycle racks or benches; or events and performance art.
Projects proposed must be executed within an area bordered by Duval, Hogan and Liberty streets and the St. Johns River.
"It will make Downtown more attractive and exciting. Downtown is the neighborhood that belongs to us all," said Robert Arleigh White, Cultural Council executive director.
White said he can't comment on specific grant seekers until after the May 30 application deadline followed by an evaluation of submissions, but said he's confident the City's Art in Public Places Committee and Cultural Council's board of directors will have a diverse collection of possible grant recipients.
Grants will be awarded before Sept. 30 and projects funded by the program must be executed by Sept. 30, 2014.
"People want to contribute to revitalizing Downtown. I'm sure we'll see some really broad-minded ideas," White said.
Grant requests can range from $5,000-$25,000. White said the Cultural Council anticipates awarding up to eight grants from a pool of $60,000 in the first cycle.
The Spark Grant program is supported by the Florida Blue Foundation, The Prudential Foundation, Lisa Goodrich, Diane Brunet-Garcia, Regions Bank, Helen Lane, Irene Lazzara, Linda Stein, Joannie Newton, Harbinger Inc., Jaguars Foundation, Baptist Health, Haskell, JAX Chamber, Kennetic Productions, Regency Centers, Stellar Foundation, the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida and Timucuan Asset Management.
For more information about the Spark Grant program, visit culturalcouncil.org.
(904) 356-2466
Facebook.com/jaxdailyrecord