Voice of Denver: Art Tank Offers New Way to Support the Arts

Giant dinosaur puppets performing in libraries. Clap-free performances designed for audiences with sensory sensitivities. An event series that engages artists to examine the cultural and civic moment in Denver, neighborhood by neighborhood.

This fall brings a bumper crop of exciting new creative projects to Denver, all supported through Art Tank, an innovative new approach to funding the arts that is part theater, part competition -- and all about impact. Launched last year by The Denver Foundation's Arts Affinity Group (AAG) and sponsored by Colorado Creative Industries, and Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, Art Tank is loosely modeled on the Shark Tank reality show, in which aspiring entrepreneurs have one shot at pitching new products to high-profile investors. In the Art Tank, artists are treated as entrepreneurs, too. Rather than products, they pitch ideas they believe will generate impact, inspire community change, and generate a significant return on investment.

"It's a reality that arts groups have countless opportunities to sell themselves every day," says Denver Foundation Trustee and Director of the Newman Center Stephen Seifert, an AAG member who was one of the Art Tank 2015 judges. "It's not often that a philanthropic group fosters something outside of the norm. There just aren't that many opportunities for this type of engagement."

Last year, nearly 50 organizations submitted applications to Art Tank; of those, six were selected to pitch their ideas to a live audience and a panel of judges, composed of members of local arts leaders and members of the AAG. Winners were announced that evening, with four organizations splitting more than $65,000 in grant funding: Phamaly Theater Company and Lone Tree Arts Center, for sensory-friendly programming and the establishment of a network of sensory-friendly performing arts network; musician Ian Cooke, whose full-length Antiquasauria album, inspired by his love of dinosaurs, was released last month with a series of live performances in non-traditional venues across; Warm Cookies of the Revolution, which launches the "Stompin' Ground Games" neighborhood series on October 2 at Ruby Hill Park; and Pop Culture Classroom, which won the Audience Choice Award in addition to a grant from the AAG.

While Art Tank's approach to funding the arts in metro Denver is unique, and entertaining, the program's ultimate goal is to support substantive, high-quality work that has the power to powerfully impact communities. Applicants for 2016 Art Grant will be evaluated against a rigorous set of criteria including impact, responsiveness, and visibility; projects must be unique to Denver, with the potential to ignite change, and must stretch an artist or arts organization to reach beyond their standard engagement and practice.

At the Art Tank 2.0 pitch session, the theatrics will be upped a bit. In partnership with The Denver Foundation, Colorado Film School will produce and capture the event; the finished piece will serve as a model for other arts funders as well as a document of a living dialogue about the impact of the arts on communities.

"We're very excited to partner with the Colorado Film School and the Colorado Office of Film, Television, and Media for all of the production elements," says Christiano Sosa, The Denver Foundation's director of capacity building. "After learning about emerging and innovative programs last year, ranging from dinosaurs to working with inmates, we have a unique opportunity to showcase the projects through a professionally produced piece, living long after the day of the event."

Organizations and individuals interested in applying for Art Tank 2.0 must file a Letter of Interest by Thursday, October 1, at 5 pm. Complete guidelines are available online via www.denverfoundation.org.