A&P Commission awards $103,484 during spring 2016 funding meeting

Erika Wilhite, founder and director of Artist’s Laboratory Theatre, talks with Fayetteville A&P Commissioner Tim Freeman about the organization’s planned interactive walking tour showcasing the heritage of the downtown Fayetteville square.

Photo: Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Commissioners awarded $103,484 to help fund 18 projects during its regular spring special funding meeting held Monday afternoon.

Twice each year, the commission awards non-budgeted funds to groups needing financial help with promoting or starting an event.

Fayetteville Roots Festival organizers were given the largest award of $19,000 to help expand the annual festival to include additional free, community food-related events.

Other high amounts went to Last Night Fayetteville ($14,294), the annual New Year’s Eve party on the square; the Walton Arts Center ($13,500), for its 2016 Holiday Programming Series; and Terra Studios ($11,634), to help pay for the attraction’s 2016 advertising budget.

The commission denied any funding for the Arkansas Forestry Association’s 71st annual meeting, set for Oct. 4-6 at the Chancellor Hotel in Fayetteville.

City of Fayetteville officials requested funds to expand the city’s graffiti reduction program, which assigns artists to paint murals on utility boxes. The group denied funds for the program, but encouraged the city to apply for the commission’s upcoming public art funding program.

See below for a full list of projects considered, including brief descriptions, award amounts and comments from commissioners, or download all proposals here (PDF).

Spring 2016 A&P Funding Awards

1. Artist’s Laboratory Theatre – Request: $7,500 | Award: $7,500
   Artist’s Laboratory Theatre requested $7,500 for help creating an interactive website to accompany its planned “Secret Life of Downtown Fayetteville” project, an interactive walking tour showcasing the heritage of the downtown square. The project is one of 14 group selected through the state by the Department of Heritage to commemorate Heritage Month. Commissioners said the event would be a good investment from both local and tourism perspectives, and agreed to fully fund the request.
2. All Sports Productions – Request: $7,500 | Award: $1,000
   All Sports Productions requested $7,500 for marketing costs for the 2016 Fayetteville Half Marathon, set for Oct. 29-30 in Fayetteville. The group discussed an outright denial of funding for the organization, which has received nearly $40,000 in A&P dollars for various events through the years, but eventually agreed to award $1,000 for expected marketing costs.
3. Arkansas Forestry Association – Request: $7,500 | Award: $0
   The Arkansas Forestry Association requested $7,500 towards costs related to the group’s 71st annual meeting, set for Oct. 4-6 at the Chancellor Hotel in Fayetteville. Commissioners said they didn’t believe the event fit into the group’s tourism-minded goals when handing out leftover funds.
4. Arts Live Theatre – Request: $5,000 | Award: $5,000
   Arts Live Theatre requested $5,000 for the promotion of its stage productions during the summer and fall 2016 season. The commission awarded the organization its full request.
5. City of Fayetteville – Request: $5,000 | Award: $0
   City of Fayetteville officials requested $5,000 to expand the city’s graffiti reduction program which assigns artists to paint murals on utility boxes that are commonly tagged with graffiti. Since it began, the program has eliminated graffiti on the boxes with murals. The group denied funds for the program, but encouraged the city to apply for the commission’s upcoming public art funding program.
6. City of Fayetteville – Request: $6,650 | Award: $2,000
   Fayetteville officials also requested $6,650 to help with costs for a festival on the downtown square to celebrate the completion of the 2016 Square 2 Square Bike Ride which begins on the Bentonville square and ends in Fayetteville on Sept. 10. Commissioners said the event, which alternates between finish lines in Fayetteville and Bentonville, has great potential, and wanted to award funds to ensure the Fayetteville edition is at least as polished as the recent ride, which ended in Bentonville.
7. Fayetteville Disc Association – Request: $5,000 | Award: n/a
   The Fayetteville Disc Association requested $5,000 for costs related to the 2016 Harvest Moon Ultimate Tournament, scheduled for Oct. 29-30 in Fayetteville. Officials said the organization withdrew its application and no longer is requesting funding help.
8. Fayetteville Film Fest – Request: $12,500 | Award: $7,600
   The Fayetteville Film Fest requested $12,500 to help rebrand the annual event, formerly called the Offshoot Film Festival. Commissioners said Fayetteville is poised to benefit from the recent closure of the Little Rock Film Festival, and that funding the event could provide the boost needed to elevate the annual festival to a statewide level of prominence.
9. Fayetteville Firefighters’ Association – Request: $5,000 | Award: $1,000
   The Fayetteville Firefighters’ Association requested $5,000 for costs related to the 2016 Hero Half Marathon, scheduled for Oct. 9-10 in Fayetteville. Commissioners said the annual event brings many people to the downtown area, and should receive at least $1,000 this year for expected marketing costs.
10. Fayetteville Oldtime Music and Dance – Request: $1,050 | Award: $1,050
    Fayetteville Oldtime Music and Dance requested $1,050 to promote its monthly square dancing events. While turnout for the events isn’t very large, commissioners said they saw potential to help grow the monthly dances and felt like it served as a good opportunity to also do something for the local community.
11. Folk School of Fayetteville – Request: $41,500 | Award: $19,000
    Organizers of the Fayetteville Roots Festival requested $41,500 to expand the annual festival – set for Aug. 25-28 – to include more food-related events. Commissioners said helping to expand the annual festival to include more free events was a worthwhile investment.
12. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) – Request: $8,300 | Award: $600
    The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers requested $8,300 for costs related to the group’s 4th Workshop on Wide Bandgap Power Devices and Applications, scheduled for Nov. 6-9 in Fayetteville. Commissioners discussed an outright denial of any funds for the event, which some said didn’t speak much to the tourism side of the group’s mission. Others suggested helping pay for a portion of the organization’s marketing costs.
13. Natural State Burial Association – Request: $5,000 | Award: $1,000
    Organizers requested $5,000 to help fund a new event called Death Fest, a multi-venue event set for Oct. 27-Nov. 1 that explores death through art, music and theatre, including guest speaker Katrina Space, founder of the Urban Death Project. Commissioners said they liked the idea of a new, unique event that could blossom into a successful annual festival.
14. NWA Creative Arts Network – Request: $14,000 | Award: $14,000
    The NWA Creative Arts Network requested $14,000 for the annual Last Night Fayetteville event, set for New Year’s Eve Dec. 31 on the downtown square. Commissioners said the festival has become a signature event for the city that should qualify for a hefty sum of money to help expand festivities this year.
15. NWA Creative Arts Network – Request: $8,256 | Award: $1,000
    The NWA Creative Arts Network also requested $8,256 to promote Last Saturday Fayetteville, a variety show held in downtown Fayetteville on the last Saturday of each month. Commissioners said organizers should consider seeking local sponsors similar to the monthly Sunday Night Service events at Maxine’s Tap Room, but added that they still wanted to show some support.
16. Oktoberfest – Request: $9,600 | Award: $5,000
    Organizers of the Arkansas Brewers Guild and the Dickson Street Merchants Association requested $9,600 for promotional materials and merchandise for the 2016 Oktoberfest event, scheduled for Sept. 18 at the Walton Arts Center parking lot in Fayetteville. Commissioners said with no other city in Arkansas hosting an Oktoberfest event, it would be wise to help provide a boost for the second-year festival, which received over $6,000 in 2015.
17. Phat Tire Cycling Club – Request: $6,000 | Award: $1,000
    The Phat Tire Cycling Club requested $6,000 for the Banded Suffering cycling ride scheduled for Oct. 1 and benefitting the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation. The event, which caters to riders of all levels, include routes ranging from 6-125 miles. Commissioners agreed to help pay for $1,000 worth of expected marketing costs.
18. Project Teacher NWA – Request: $9,000 | Award: $6,000
    Project Teacher NWA requested $9,000 for Game It Forward, a tabletop gaming event scheduled for March 3-4, 2017. Commissioners said the event could grow to become a major draw if managed well, so they agreed to award $6,000 towards marketing costs. They originally earmarked $6,500 for the event, but trimmed $500 off to meet the commission’s $103,000 distribution amount.
19. Soldier On Service Dogs – Request: $27,110 | Award: $5,600
    Soldier On Service Dogs requested $27,110 for promotional materials and volunteer supplies and gift bags for the 2016 Dickson Street Slide (aka Slide the City) event, scheduled for Aug. 28. Commissioners said although the event was a major success last year without any help from the A&P, it’s worth noting that Soldier On Service Dogs will serve as the sole promoter for the 2016 event and should receive help to ensure the event is marketed at least as well as last year’s Slide the City festivities.
20. Terra Studios – Request: $43,839 | Award: $11,634
    Terra Studios requested $43,839 to fund the attraction’s 2016 advertising budget. Commissioners said while the event isn’t located within the city limits, it is included on nearly every organized tour of the city and serves as a lure for Fayetteville. The group said it won’t likely consider multiple years’ worth of funds, but said it has a definite, longtime connection to the city and should qualify for a boost to help ensure its sustainability into the future.
21. Walton Arts Center – Request: $25,000 | Award: $13,500
    Walton Arts Center officials requested $25,000 for marketing materials, artist fees, and production costs for the 2016 Holiday Programming Series. Commissioners originally earmarked $14,000 for the organization, but trimmed $500 off to meet the commission’s $103,000 distribution total.