Fifty-one arts and cultural organizations in Tacoma are getting a boost to their budgets this year thanks to a voter-approved sales tax fund. Passed in 2018, the arts and culture tax amounts to one cent on every $10 spent in the city. This year, $4 million is being distributed to organizations large and small. Some grant recipients are high profile, such as the Tacoma Art Museum, which is receiving $360,000, and the Museum of Glass, which will get $320,000. But there are also grants of $6,375 to Classical Tuesdays in Old Town, $2,500 to Destiny City Music Collective and $16,200 to Alchemy Skateboarding.
Some of the funds will go to performing arts groups. Among those on the list are the Tacoma Refugee Choir, which will receive $50,000, and Tacoma Musical Playhouse, which has been granted $183,980.
Tacoma Creates, part of the city of Tacoma's Office of Arts & Cultural Vitality, oversees the funding contracts. A city-appointed advisory board approves the grants. This is the second round of funding since the tax hike was approved.
All of the one-year grants begin July 1.
A complete list of the organizations receiving funding as well as their grant amounts can be found here.
