Submit an arts experience Pinellas County visitors will always remember.
Creative Pinellas is spearheading a transformative new arts tourism funding program designed to position Pinellas County as a premier cultural destination while strengthening its creative economy. On Tuesday, March 24, the Pinellas Board of County Commissioners approved the $500,000 program by unanimous vote. Creative Pinellas will direct the program, which is funded by Visit St. Pete-Clearwater (VSPC) with outreach and event support provided by St. Petersburg Arts Alliance and Clearwater Arts Alliance.
The inaugural program will fund a wide range of experiences created by artists and arts organizations selected through a competitive process. The experiences will shape a countywide, multi-week festival of the arts during Fall 2026 featuring performances, exhibitions, workshops, public art, and immersive cultural experiences across beaches, parks, downtown districts, and cultural venues. It is expected to reach an estimated 2.5 million visitors during that time.
This marks the first time Creative Pinellas has distributed arts funding to support not only individual artists and nonprofits, but also for-profit arts organizations.
Application Link Opens April 1, 2026
https://creativepinellas.submittable.com/submit
Applications are only accepted through the Submittable portal provided. All other applications (mail, email, dropped-off in person, otherwise) will be considered automatically disqualified. The best way to receive the complete application questions is to begin an application and save as a draft in Submittable.
Creative Pinellas will host a virtual informational session Wednesday, April 1 at noon for those interested in applying for the funding program.
Join the call here: meet.google.com/koq-svov-jtt
Or dial: (US) +1 470-310-0751 PIN: 915 641 524#
Applications Due by May 31, 2026
Thank you for your interest in a new arts tourism funding program, an initiative managed by Creative Pinellas, made possible by a partnership with Visit St. Pete-Clearwater and the Tourist Development Council of Pinellas County. We also thank Clearwater Arts Alliance and St. Petersburg Arts Alliance for their outreach and event support. We’re excited to support art experiences to attract visitors to Pinellas County as a premier arts tourism destination!
Who May Apply?
- Apply as a U.S.-based Individual Artist (including those with individual LLCs) – and, yes, you may apply as a team with one lead Artist. Artists include dancers, writers, performers, visual creators, composers, singers, filmmakers, interdisciplinarians, actors, and more.
- Apply as a legally recognized U.S.-based arts / culture nonprofit or as a U.S.-based arts-related for-profit. Must have an EIN. And, yes, you may apply as an organization with a plan to hire Artists.
Award Amounts and Frequency
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- The panel plans to select approximately 20-30 arts experiences, totaling $350,000 to Individual Artists and Organizations. It is possible that more or fewer experiences will be selected. Another $50,000 is planned for those selected to provide opening and closing experiences for the months of the arts.
- The panel reviewing applications will be asked to fund in two categories: individuals and organizations.
- Individual Artists may apply for $5,000 to $15,000.
- Organizations may apply for $15,000 to $50,000.
- The panel predicts to select a very limited number of arts experiences at the higher funding levels.
- All applicants acknowledge that Creative Pinellas may offer funding at a different amount than applied for.
Additional Eligibility Factors
- Organizations must have been in existence for at least one year prior to applying.
- Individual Artists must be 18 or older and have identified as an Artist for at least one year prior to applying.
- Adhere to the non-discrimination statement of the Pinellas County Office of Human Rights.
- Have no Pinellas County liens against entity applying.
- Arts experiences wholly created by humans; all applications agree they are not applying with an arts experience created by or to be created by generative artificial intelligence.
- Not be on or to include vendors on the convicted vendor list maintained pursuant to section 287.133 of the Florida Statutes, or on any similar list maintained by any other state or the federal government.
- Not have a primary business or focus of political lobbying or voter registration.
- Not apply with an arts experience that includes political lobbying, voter registration, or religious proselytization.
- Not apply with an experience that receives or will receive other Pinellas County funding.
- Arts experience takes place in or around November 2026.
- If selected, at agreement signing, be able to provide required Certificate of Liability Insurance.
Types of Arts Experiences for Visitors to Pinellas County
- Genres vary! We’re excited by so many: dance, musical composition, author readings, rock bands, printmaking, temporary or permanent sculptures, performance, interactive & immersive creations, theater, and more.
- Also, we know that many great Artists and arts-related Organizations provide arts for residents of Pinellas County; and arts education for so many too. Please note that we love such work, but that it’s not a fit for this funding program. The focus of your application must be on your idea to attract visitors to Pinellas County to experience great art.
- Why do we say “experience?” Please note that whatever concept you are proposing, it must center on a clear experience for visitors to the County. This is often thought of as attendance or interaction, but we know you have other concepts too. You may already be doing the very thing you’ll mention here. Or maybe you’re thinking of this as an opportunity to enhance what you’re already doing.
- For most, we imagine that an experience will be a one-day event or a particular special day of an overall project. It’s possible that your idea involves a repeating presentation of artwork, though. Just help the panel understand how it attracts visitors, not people who live in the County.
- Here are some specific examples of what’s probably not a match to this funding and what might be more likely to be:
- Probably not-so-great matches: sponsorship for programming that is focused on serving Pinellas residents; general funding for a season of performances that is not particularly focused on attracting visitors to Pinellas County.
- A non-exhaustive list of ideas that might be closer to matches: an innovative one-day concert, a rare or interactive one-week installation, a special way to feature Artists that’s not been done before, the addition of talent to your programming, a visiting famous author as an enhancement to your programming, the reveal of a sculpture that has been in installation process as part of preparing for the experience, a partnership with a hotel for a unique arts offering, a particularly programmed day that is a highlight of an overall longer-term installation, and more.
Example of the Same Arts Experience by an Individual Artist v. an Organization
- Let’s use the example of a one-day Clarinet Battle that involves the Same Lead Artist and the Same Organization for both.
- Individual Artist as Applicant: Clarinetist Benito might apply to produce a one-day Clarinet Battle with the Clarinet Association. This would mean that if selected, Benito is responsible for permits, insurance, subcontracting with all involved Artists, location, vendors, etc. Benito would be the funded party in charge of the experience. The amount to apply for would cap at $15,000.
- Organization as Applicant: The Clarinet Association might apply to produce a one-day Clarinet Battle. This would mean the Association would be the funded party responsible for delivering all aspects of the Clarinet Battle, including that the Association would sub-contract with Benito. The amount to apply for would start at $15,000.
Application Includes (but is not limited to):
- Agreement to eligibility, including not receiving other Pinellas County funding for the same experience
- Contact information
- Arts experience you’re proposing for funding
- Genre, title, summary, dates in or around November 2026 of the arts experience
- Number of intended visitors to be provided with the arts experience
- Visitor experience description
- Key persons involved
- How registration to your experience will work
- Location of the arts experience
- Amount of funding applied to & budget
- Biography & portfolio & how you would collect data
- Timeline of planning for arts experience
- How receiving this funding would support your or your organization’s continuing economic impact in and for Pinellas County
- Agreement to terms
Match in the Budget
Match is not required for this application. An applicant must include match, though, if the cost of the arts experience as noted in the budget is higher than the amount of funding applied for.
Further Application Support
- For technical questions with Submittable, the best way to receive support is to contact Submittable directly; we find that they are very responsive! The following page has articles and a way to email support: https://www.submittable.com/help/submitter/.
- Prior to submitting your application, to join online brainstorming open office hours with our funding staff, please attend one or more of the following times and dates:
- Mon Apr 6 Noon meet.google.com/her-ywiv-xhr
- Mon Apr 13 Noon meet.google.com/her-ywiv-xhr
- Mon Apr 27 Noon meet.google.com/her-ywiv-xhr
- Mon May 4 Noon meet.google.com/her-ywiv-xhr
- Mon May 11 Noon meet.google.com/her-ywiv-xhr
- Mon May 18 Noon meet.google.com/her-ywiv-xhr
- For application question clarity: You may also submit questions to clarify parts of the application directly to Creative Pinellas at grants@creativepinellas.org. Please note that we’re not able to offer consulting on application narratives or review of proposals via email.
Additional Tips
- If you’re helping someone apply for a grant, make sure you’re applying from within that Artist’s or Organization’s Submittable account, not yours.
- Also, sometimes Artists and/or Organizations have wonderful collaborators for an idea, so there’s space for you to list a collaborator if needed.
- By the way–individual Artists–If you do have a collaborator, and your idea is selected for funding, the Artist who applied would become the Artist who receives the funding; the collaborator would not receive funding directly from Creative Pinellas, but the funded Artist could pay the collaborator, for example, based on the submitted budget.
- Likewise–Organizations–if you do have a collaborator, and your idea is selected for funding, the Organization who applied would become the Organization who receives the funding; the collaborator would not receive funding directly from Creative Pinellas, but the funded Organization could pay the collaborator, for example, based on the submitted budget.
- Tax concerns–This may especially be of concern for individual Artists. Please consult with your financial advisor about the effect receiving funding from Creative Pinellas may have on your future tax filings.
Funding Support By
