Almost two months after Denver Arts & Venues announced that it had allotted $20,000 to "safe creative spaces," we now know how that money will be used.
The city said Thursday that it would give the money to the Meow Wolf DIY & Alternative Creative Spaces Grant.
When Arts & Venues first announced its financial commitment, there were few specifics. At the time, Ginger White, director of Arts & Venues told Denverite, “We haven’t decided [where the money will go yet] because we wanted to hear the ideas from the community tonight as well as as we formulate different strategies going forward, looking at what other cities are doing to see where it’s best to invest those dollars.”
Since then Meow Wolf -- an elaborate and successful DIY art space in Santa Fe -- announced that it would give $20,000 to support Rhinoceropolis and Glob, the two Denver DIY spaces that were shutdown after failed inspections just days after the Ghost Ship fire in Oakland killed 36 people. Meow Wolf had created a $100,000 annual fund to support other DIY spaces around the country and help them be safer, and decided it would use some of that to match Denver's $20,000 commitment.
Applications for Meow Wolf's grant money are open through March 31, and the $20,000 from Arts & Venues will be given to applicants who meet Meow Wolf's criteria. They will also have to "demonstrate they have a physical address and creative/community gathering space in the City and County of Denver" and "have permission and demonstrate partnership with land owner," according to the Arts & Venues announcement.
It also says preference will be given to spaces that "identify as 'DIY' or 'alternative' and maintain a limited budget stream" and that "demonstrate additional funding from land owner or additional partnerships."
If chosen, artists and spaces can use the money for:
- Safety and infrastructure improvements
- Code compliance needs
- Construction plans/permit review
- Rezoning
- Materials and equipment
- Consulting and trade resources to support the above efforts
Funding may not be allocated towards:
- Housing support, residential improvements or personal items
