• Codaworx – “Connecting artists to the people seeking art and the industry collaborators who make it happen” A great source for finding public art commissions, directory of fabricators and resources. 
• Americans for the Arts Public Artist tool kit - Well-rounded FAQ for experienced or emerging public artists.
• Public Art Academy - Series of webinars that offer an introduction to public art with a range of artists working in the field.
• Public Art Handbook - Great resource for developing public art proposals and public art in general.
• Nevada Arts Council – How to Price your Art - Online webinar providing multiple avenues for artists to decide how to price their art.
• Nevada Arts Council – How to Sell your Art Online - Tips for artists to begin or improve their online sales strategies.
• How to get the most out of art opportunities - Five straight forward tips for crafting a great public art submissions. 

Many organizations, including the City of Reno award grants to non-profit groups that support arts and culture and provide access to diverse programming and events. Telling your organization's story and expressing impact are big parts of being award a grant but aren't the only things to consider when applying. Here are some resources we think will be helpful to organizations applying for a City of Reno grant or exploring other opportunities. 

10 Tips for Effective Grant Writing in the Arts - A clear set of tips to help you write an effective grant application and avoid common pitfalls. 

7 Tips to Level Up Your Grant Writing Game - Arts Midwest has a great guide for refining applications.

Successful Grantwriting: A Few Tips - A one page document from California Humanities that provides some useful insight to get you thinking about how to approach your application. 

Arts & Culture staff hosted a virtual information session for our 2025 grants cycle on August 29, 2024. You can now view the recording of the workshop online.

A big part of being an artist is being able to articulate a vision and sharing the story of an artist’s experience and perspective. Writing can be an overwhelming endeavor for many artists who are asked to write statements, resumes, proposals, accomplishments and more. These resources can be a huge help to artists who want to sharpen their writing skills or just figure out how to get started. 

• Artist Statement Quick Guide, How to Write Yours Right - Great resource for writing an artist statement as a studio artist or public artist. 
• How to Write Your Artist Resume or CV - Great resource for writing an artist resume/CV as a studio artist or public artist.
• An Artists Resume – Example template from the Greater Columbus Arts Council.
• Nevada Arts Council – How to Write an Artist Statement - Video workshop that will help you craft an excellent artist statement for any occasion. 
• Regional Arts WA – Writing in Plain English - Video providing tips to clear and concise writing for proposals and applications.

Everyone loves a great mural! The City of Reno and other civic opportunities are often for public walls that need some artwork! For many studio-based artists the idea of going huge can be daunting, but there are lots of great resources out there to help take your work to the next level and scale up!

• Steps for creating and pitching a mural or sculpture as public art by Eric Brooks, Arts and Culture Program Manager, Visit Carson City. A start to finish guide for creating and pitching public art. 
• Painting on rough surfaces - How to tackle a rough surface when painting murals.
• Clark Co. Public Art Program – Mural Pricing Webinar - Video covering how to budget and price a public mural.

Putting your best foot forward can make all the difference when it comes to presenting work to a public art commission, a gallery or creating a website to show off your portfolio. Great photographs go a long way in letting your artwork speak for itself and highlighting the work you’ve already done and hope to create as part of a public art commission.

• Photographing Your Artwork – A guide to creating photographs of your artwork. 
• How, When & Why to Make Videos About Your Art – Things to consider before making videos of your artwork. 

What does it mean to be qualified to submit a proposal? Can’t artists just send pictures of their artwork and that be enough to win a commission? Many times, a call for qualifications helps a commissioning group to narrow the field for complicated artwork ask and then finalists are asked for an actual proposal for the specific site.  The process of submitting proposals and qualifications for public artwork commissions can be overwhelming even if you’ve been through the process before. Here’s a little peek behind the scenes to help you gain some insight on how to best approach submitting to a government agency’s call for proposals and qualifications. 

• Nevada Arts Council – RFP vs RFQ with City of Reno and Clark Co. - for Artists
• Nevada Arts Council – RFP vs RFQ with City of Reno and Clark Co. - for Art Administrators

We know that an artist can’t do it alone, sometimes the materials and scope of a project are beyond what an artist may be comfortable with. There are a number of fabricators that work with artists creating public sculptures. Even if you don’t end up needing to work with a fabricator, visiting their sites can be a great source for inspiration and pointing you in the right direction.

• Fabricators Directory - A list of fabricators working in a wide range of mediums from The Sculpture Center.
• Codaworx Fabrication Services Directory - Project specific recommendations from one of the largest and best-connected public art resources.

We’d love to have you apply for and receive a commission for public art in the City of Reno, but we also would like to see your work in other places across Northern Nevada, California or elsewhere! Here’s some links to great places to look for and find request for proposals, qualifications and calls for artists!

• Codaworx - A first stop for many public artists when looking for calls for artists nationwide.
• CaFÈ – Call for Entry, find calls, apply and manage entries.
• Public Artists – RFPs & RFQs from around the nation.
• Art Deadline – Calls for Artists from around the world.
• Nevada Arts Council Opportunities – Collection of statewide and national calls for artists and employment.
• The Street Art List - The Street Art List is a directory of street art festivals, mural projects, graffiti jams, and public art interventions. 

We wish artists were able to just make artwork and show up for artist receptions. There are things that everyone must do, like taxes and accounting. The great news is that there are people and organizations out there to help artists navigate these challenging tasks. 

• Tax Basics for Artists Virtual Workshop – Webinar covering a number of topics regarding artists and taxes.
• A Short Guide to Doing Your Taxes as an Artist – Article highlighting tax considerations for artists. 
• Taxes for Artists – Webinar and slideshow guide to navigating taxes for artists.  

Not every call comes with a stipend, not every grant can pay for travel, so how do artists fund art projects and travel for commissions? Making a strong case for support is crucial but you also must continue applying again and again for funding opportunities. Ask for feedback. Refine your arguments.  Here are a few sources you can use to help find additional funding – award not guaranteed. 

• Nevada Arts Council – Telling your Story in Grant Applications – How to share the narrative of your programming.
• Arts Idaho – Storytelling with Data – Webinar for organizations looking to use data to tell better stories.
• Pollock-Krasner Foundation – Grants and Awards for established Individual artists.

These are just a few of the books that live on our bookshelf or that we’ve found in the studios of artists. 

• The Artist's Guide to Public Art: How to Find and Win Commissions by Lynn Basa
• The Art Opportunities Book by Benny Shaboy
• The Business of Being An Artist by Daniel Grant
• Art, Inc.: The Essential Guide for Building Your Career as an Artist By Lisa Congdon
• The Art of Relevance by Nina Simon 

It is the goal of the City of Reno Arts & Culture department to see our city’s citizens prosper in their careers. Is there something that you want to learn more about that would help your craft and help you succeed when applying for Public Art Commissions and City of Reno Arts & Culture Grants? 

You can email the City of Reno Arts and Culture Department  with suggestions for future workshops and with feedback regarding resources we may be able to assist with moving forward.