At the start of the grant period, the artist receives $500, along with another $200 at the completion of the grant period. The remaining $300 comes as an in-kind donation of booth space for 10 Art & Gallery Walks. Art & Gallery Walks occur on the first Friday and third Saturday of each month.
"We've gotten complaints that there's not enough art and artists in the Art & Gallery Walk," Tom Pitzen, the artists liaison for the Gulfport Merchants Association. "That's part of the whole grant, is to promote the arts in Gulfport and potentially attract more artists, too. We want to promote, support and attract more artists."
Visual artists across Pinellas County may apply, although the GMA will give preference to Gulfport artists.
In return, they have to submit a report on how they spent the money and give the merchants feedback on gallery walk.
To apply, artists must submit the following: proof of residency, a resume (no more than two pages), an artist statement and four images of their work. For more specific details on applying, check the GMA website Monday or email submissionsartistgrant@gulfportmac.com. The Gulfport Merchants Association will announce the recipients at the 2018 Gecko Ball in August.
This article appears in Feb 1-8, 2018.