Bravo Greater Des Moines announced $663,600 in grant investments it has made through three grant programs this spring.

Eight organizations are receiving Capital Project Grants, which provide funding to arts, culture and heritage nonprofits for capital projects that help organizations deliver programming and services more effectively and efficiently. Funded projects include essential equipment purchases, warehouse upgrades, enhancements to buildings and grounds and technology improvements.

Capital Project Grants totaling $350,000 were made to:

• Des Moines Art Center
• Des Moines Community Radio Foundation
• Des Moines Metro Opera
• Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
• Italian-American Cultural Center of Iowa
• Salisbury House & Gardens
• Science Center of Iowa
• White Eagle Multicultural Pow Wow

Bravo’s Public Art Grant program was first introduced in 2019 to provide Bravo’s local government partners with funding for public art projects that encourage increased local artistic and cultural expression. This year’s funding will support both public art projects and comprehensive public art plans, helping cities establish a long-term strategy for prioritizing public art in their communities.

Funding totaling $288,750 has been awarded to the following nine communities: Ankeny, Bondurant, Des Moines, Indianola, Pleasant Hill, Urbandale, Waukee, West Des Moines, Windsor Heights.

The city of Bondurant was awarded an additional grant of $24,850 through a collaboration between Bravo Greater Des Moines and the Iowa Confluence Water Trails (ICON). The Bravo/ICON Public Art Grant provides funding for public art projects that are established on ICON access points along any of nine major river systems.

Eligible communities are those that are partners of both ICON and Bravo. This is the second of a three-year collaboration between Bravo and ICON.

All of Bravo’s grant programs are made possible by partnerships with 17 local government communities that contribute a percentage of hotel/motel tax revenue specifically for investment in arts, culture, heritage and interpretive science.