Louisville, KY (February 19, 2026) – Fund for the Arts is proud to announce the latest recipients of the Community Event Mini-Grant as part of the Fund’s Arts in Neighborhoods initiative.
The Community Event Mini-Grants support arts organizations, businesses, neighborhood associations, individual artists, groups of artists, non-arts nonprofits, and community-based organizations with project expenses associated with presenting multigenerational, free community gatherings incorporating arts components. A community can be tied to a specific geographic location in Louisville and/or can be linked by a common interest or identity.
“It’s amazing and inspiring to see the events that local artists are pouring heart, soul, and time into for their communities. It’s an honor to be part of helping to make those events happen” said Fund for the Arts Interim President and CEO Brett Shepherd. “We are so grateful to LG&E & KU for believing in the Mini-Grant program and the importance of arts in every neighborhood.”
A grant review panel of nine external community members provided written qualitative and quantitative feedback on the applications and made recommendations on funding. Seven events in five Louisville Metro Council districts (1, 3, 4, 6, 21) have been awarded support for a total investment of $19,256.
Interested in participating in a Grant Review Panel with Fund for the Arts? Click here to learn more.
“At JoLyns, we’re all about empowering the next generation of fashion lovers to be their best selves!” said JoLyns Founder JoAnna S. Lyn Lewis. “The Fashionista Camp is a space where creativity meets confidence, and we’re so grateful to the Fund for the Arts for supporting our mission and funding our vision. When you look your best, you feel your best, and leave a trail of glitter everywhere you go!“
This round of the Mini-Grant application closed January 16, 2026. The Community Event Mini-Grant application is available on a rolling basis, with funds awarded 4 times throughout the calendar year. The next deadline for submission is April 16, 2026.
“GlobaLou is the highlight of our summer, and thanks to this generous grant, the hiatus is officially over,” said Americana Community Center Executive Director Ricardo Santiago. “This support ensures that we can return stronger than ever, creating a space where every heritage is honored and every neighbor is welcome. The celebration is back on.”
Details on the grant recipients and their events:
- Bridge Kids International will present Our Place Live, a series of performance art events, in partnership with Chris Stafford and the Gentlemen of Jazz and Jacy Jones-Britt of Prolific Services. Our Place at Ben Washer Park, monthly from March 1 – August 22, 2026, exact dates and times TBA.
- Future Ancestors, working with 50.50 Mentoring and the Muhammad Ali Center, will present Passing the Baton: Youth Action Summit, uniting youth, young professionals, and community elders in an intergenerational experience of storytelling, skill-building, and action planning. Artist Mahogany Mayfield will work with the youth planning committee to design custom journals that will be provided to each participant at the summit to provide a space for reflection and creation. Muhammad Ali Center, March 21 from 10 am – 4:30 pm.
- More Than A Smile Foundation Inc. will present Somali Bantu Community Day: 20 Years in Louisville – Celebrating Culture, Resilience, and Community, a free, outdoor, multi-generational cultural celebration honoring two decades of Somali Bantu presence, resilience, and contributions in Louisville. William Harrison Park in the Shively/South Louisville Neighborhood on May 16 from 3 – 9 pm.
- Hui Kaululehua will present Aloha Lou! Polynesian Cultural Festival, dedicated to celebrating and showcasing Polynesian and broader Pacific Island cultures through dance, music, crafts, education, and food. Central Park in Old Louisville on May 30 from 11 am – 4 pm.
- Local fashion designer JoAnna S. Lyn Lewis will host Fashionista Camp by JoLyns, a one-week summer sewing program designed for girls aged 8-12 and 13-17, focusing on empowering young ladies to design and create their own clothing followed by a Fashion Show. The ELAhouse – West End Women’s Collaborative from June 1 – 5.
- Christian Care Communities and the Limerick Neighborhood Association will host Ode to Spring, a joyful, all-ages celebration featuring live music, hands-on art activities, and community gardening that will bring together residents, families, and neighbors to celebrate creativity, connection, and the spirit of community to mark the opening of the CommUnity Garden. 931 South 6th Street in Historic Old Louisville on June 2, 4 – 6 pm.
- Americana Community Center will present Americana GlobaLou 2026, a vibrant, multigenerational cultural arts festival that celebrates the diversity, creativity, and heritage of Louisville’s immigrant, refugee, and longtime resident communities through mainstage performances, community art-making, and culinary arts. Americana Community Center on June 6, time TBA.
For further information on each upcoming event, please visit the websites and/or social media channels for the organizers.
The Community Event Mini-Grant is powered by the support of LG&E and KU Company.
For further information about grants and funding opportunities or partnerships with Fund for the Arts, visit fundforthearts.org/funding/ or sign up for Arts Scoop email newsletter at fundforthearts.org/arts-scoop/.
ABOUT FUND FOR THE ARTS
Fund for the Arts is a regional nonprofit with the mission to contribute to the overall health and well-being of our community by generating resources for, investing in, and supporting our local arts, artists, and arts organizations. The Fund envisions a healthy and vibrant community where everyone embraces the art that exists in our lives every day, everyone contributes to the well-being of our arts community, and it is understood that everyone belongs to the arts community. The organization facilitates the largest arts grant program in Greater Louisville and it conducts one of the two oldest united arts campaigns in the country. For more information, visit www.fundforthearts.org
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