Arts and cultural businesses and nonprofit organizations in the Bloomington area are invited to apply for grant funding as they recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funds are available through the Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association (BUEA) and the Bloomington Arts Commission (BAC) and are being awarded as part of Mayor John Hamilton’s Recover Forward Initiative.

“The arts are at the essence of Bloomington, and a big part of our appeal for residents and visitors alike,” said Hamilton in a press release. “We are committed to supporting employees and organizations that foster Bloomington’s renowned cultural life as they manage alternate business and production models in the wake of the economic and logistical impacts of the COVID crisis.”

The BUEA and the BAC, which in May awarded $80,800 to 26 local nonprofit organizations that had been impacted by the pandemic, are working closely with Hamilton’s Economic Stabilization and Recovery Working Group to oversee the City of Bloomington’s economic recovery following COVID-19.

Applications for the grant funds are available here, and must be submitted by Friday, October 2, at 5 p.m. The awards are expected to be announced by late October.