Flinn commits nearly $4M to Arizona arts groups

November 27, 2024

By brianpowell

Photo courtesy of Ballet Arizona

The Flinn Foundation is pledging almost $4 million to Arizona arts and culture organizations, a substantial financial commitment designed to support the groups’ long-term sustainability. 

The grants, which run through 2027, will directly support 18 of the state’s largest arts organizations as well as smaller groups operating in rural or underserved areas. 

The gifts come at a time when arts organizations have struggled to regain audience post-pandemic and as COVID-era federal assistance has expired.    

The initiative will provide grants ranging from $100,000 to $300,000 per year to large organizations in the Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff areas. 

Also included in the $3.8 million package is a $150,000 grant to the Arizona Commission on the Arts to support its Creative Communities program, which provides annual grants to small groups throughout the state. Past Flinn funding has supported organizations in Ajo, Bisbee, Douglas, Globe, Many Farms, Nogales, Patagonia, Show Low, and Tsaile.  

“The arts play a critical role in our communities, providing not only education and entertainment but a way to bring diverse groups together while providing a positive economic benefit,” said Tammy McLeod, Ph.D., Flinn Foundation President and CEO.  

“The Foundation strives to improve the quality of life in Arizona for future generations and supporting our arts and culture organizations in cities and small towns is an essential part of our mission.” 

Flinn’s commitment also provides $63,000 to SMU DataArts over three years to continue a partnership with the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust and the Arizona Community Foundation that gives Arizona organizations access to the Cultural Data Profile, which has been supported by the foundation since 2010. The program enables arts organizations and grantmakers to track trends both within the larger arts sector and each organization itself. Additional funding is being allocated to the state commission to provide technical support for organizations with SMU DataArts and to consultants to work with the largest organizations on their creative and financial health.   

The 18 organizations that will receive up to $300,000 include:   

Ballet Arizona Executive Director Jami Kozemczak said the three-year grant comes at a significant inflection point for the organization as Daniela Cardim begins her leadership as artistic director. 

Kozemczak added the grant is making an immediate impact supporting the optimization of the School of Ballet Arizona as the Phoenix-based group defines the mission of the school; assesses its structure, curriculum, and staffing resources; increases student enrollment; and explores expansion through satellite campuses.  

“The Flinn Foundation’s investment in this initiative, and belief in our vision, has set us on a path to achieve successful outcomes that will uplift our whole organization, and provide a greater impact on our community,” Kozemczak said. 

The Flinn Foundation, a privately endowed, philanthropic grantmaking organization in Phoenix, has financially supported Arizona arts organizations for about four decades. In addition to this grant, the nearly 60-year-old foundation hosts two art exhibitions a year in the lobby and conference center of its Phoenix building. 
 
The current exhibit, “From Micro to Macro,” in partnership with the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance, is a bioscience-themed exhibit delving into the connection between art and health care. The works, which will be on display through January 2025, explore themes of scientific discovery, research, exploration, illness, recovery, and the transformative power of creative expression. 

In addition to arts and culture, the foundation awards grants and operates programs to support the biosciences, including administering Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap, as well as the Flinn Scholarship and Arizona Center for Civic Leadership and its flagship Flinn-Brown Fellowship.