Press Room

The program will offer two different sessions designed to provide resources for potential applicants. Neither session is required in order to apply. During the first session, potential applicants will hear a presentation about the application process and will have opportunities to ask questions. The second session is an open house and application review, during which program staff will work one-on-one with attendees to review their applications and make application recommendations.

Application Information

The program is looking for diversity in artwork styles and concepts, with a preference for emerging artists and new and exciting ideas. Selected artists will receive an honorarium of $1,000. To apply, artists must submit a letter of intent and concept rendering. The application deadline is 5 p.m. MST on Feb. 11. An Art in Public Places committee selects artists each year. For further information and to apply, visit www.fcgov.com/artspublic/current-competitions.

Session I: Presentation and Q&A
Jan. 10, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Music District
639 S College Ave
Fort Collins

This session will include a presentation at 6:30 p.m. about the application and review process. Handouts will be provided and program staff will be available to answer questions during the rest of the session.

Session II: Open House and Application Review
Jan 24, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Carnegie Center for Creativity
200 Matthews St.
Fort Collins

At this drop-in session, staff will be available to sit with applicants one-on-one to review applications and make application recommendations. Staff also will be available to provide general information for applicants who were unable to attend the first information session. Information about other artist opportunities offered by the City of Fort Collins will be available.

About the Pianos About Town Program:

Pianos About Town is a public art initiative that provides paid work to local visual artists, gives the public the opportunity to observe these artists work in real time, showcases the work of artists throughout town, and brings opportunities for spontaneous musical expression to the streets of Fort Collins.

The original inspiration for Pianos About Town comes from British artist Luke Jerram, who created a 60-piano installation that toured the world, stopping in New York City in June 2010. Pianos About Town also was inspired by a similar project on Denver’s 16th Street Mall. The first pianos were placed in Downtown Fort Collins in 2010. This is the ninth season for Pianos About Town.

Pianos are acquired through donations made by community members looking for a new home for their used instruments. Pianos are picked up, free of charge, from their previous homes and brought to a storage area where they are cleaned, tuned, prepped for painting, and readied for the outside elements. After that, the painting begins. Selected local artists spend approximately two weeks painting their piano in downtown Fort Collins, outdoors in a public location when weather permits. Once painted, each finished piano enters into rotation at Pianos About Town locations throughout Fort Collins. Area businesses play a key role in the success of the project by “adopting” the painted pianos and covering them during inclement weather.

Pianos About Town started in 2010 as a collaboration among Bohemian Foundation, the Downtown Development Authority and the City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places Program.

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“Bohemian Foundation is committed to supporting nonprofits demonstrating impactful, measurable outcomes in our community,” said Sara Maranowicz, Bohemian Foundation’s Community Programs director. “We are excited to increase support in our vibrant community goal area, which aims to fortify our community’s capacity to welcome diverse cultures, experiences, and perspectives.”

Pharos Fund is a responsive grantmaking program of Bohemian Foundation that makes awards up to $30,000 to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and governmental units. A committee comprised of Bohemian Foundation board members and community reviewers selects grantees through a competitive application process.

Click here to view the full List of Fall 2018 Pharos Fund Recipients.

Bohemian Foundation will begin accepting applications for the next Pharos Fund round on Dec. 19, 2018. Visit BohemianFoundation.org for more information.

Bohemian Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2001. Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, Bohemian Foundation works to empower citizens and impact communities through its responsive grant making programs and special initiatives.

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When:

9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Monday, Oct. 1, 2018

Where:

Colorado State University Lory Student Center, 1101 Center Ave. Mall, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523

Details:

Give Next is a school-based youth philanthropy program designed to provide middle and high school students with hands-on experience in philanthropic giving. Through the program, local businesses, foundations, and individuals become classroom donors by providing each participating school with $5,000 to award to Larimer County nonprofits. With the financial support of these donors, students design and manage their own grantmaking programs. Students work together to identify community needs, choose a focus area, create their own mission statement, research nonprofits, volunteer, conduct site visits, review grant applications, and make funding decisions. At the end of the school year, students award grants to selected nonprofits.

To learn more about Give Next, visit givenextnoco.org.

Reporters who would like to attend Give Next Kickoff Day can call Andrea Coy at 970-556-1201.

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Bohemian Foundation will accept applications until 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 27.

For more information or to apply for a grant, visit bohemianfoundation.org/music-programs/muse/how-to-apply.

About Bohemian Foundation:

Bohemian Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2001. Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, Bohemian Foundation works to empower citizens and impact communities through its responsive grantmaking programs and special initiatives.

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Muse, established in 2017, provides support to organizations that have music as their primary focus, or that have a music-centered program. Through Muse, Bohemian Foundation makes awards of up to $20,000 to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving Larimer and Weld Counties. Applications are accepted twice per year. Funding requests must align with one or more of Bohemian Foundation’s Music Programs goals: to provide youth with encouragement and opportunities to express themselves through music; to help musicians and music-related businesses grow and develop; and to increase performances of live contemporary music.

During these workshop sessions, held in Fort Collins and Greeley, nonprofit participants will join Bohemian Foundation’s Music Programs staff to discuss Muse program requirements and ways to tell meaningful stories about music-related work. Music Programs staff also will discuss the important elements of a Muse grant application. During the sessions, participants will break into small, staff-facilitated groups.

Dates, times and locations of Muse workshops are listed below. Each Muse workshop will cover the same content, so please register for only one. Bohemian Foundation will begin accepting Muse applications Sept. 6. For more information, visit bohemianfoundation.org/music-programs/muse/application-assistance.

Aug. 14, 5-6:30 p.m.

Zoe’s Cafe & Events
715 10th St.
Greeley, Colorado 80631

Register for the Greeley workshop here.

Aug. 27, 5-6:30 p.m.

Music District
639 S. College Ave.
Fort Collins, Colorado 80524

Register for the Fort Collins workshop here.

About Bohemian Foundation:

Bohemian Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2001. Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, Bohemian Foundation works to empower citizens and impact communities through its responsive grantmaking programs and special initiatives.

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Who:

Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) organization or a governmental unit serving a charitable purpose. Private foundations, type III non-functionally-integrated supporting organizations, and programs and projects under fiscal sponsorship are ineligible to apply to Pharos Fund.

Applicants do not need to be headquartered in Fort Collins to receive funding. However, applicants must serve clients within the Poudre School District boundary or have a direct impact on individuals in the grantmaking area.

When:

Bohemian Foundation will accept applications until 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 6.

Where:

To apply for a grant, visit bohemianfoundation.org/pharos-apply

Applicants may apply for the following types of support: program support, general operating support or project support.

Pharos Fund grant applications are considered twice per year, once in the spring and once in the fall.

Applicants may request any funding amount up to $30,000 per application.

For more information, visit www.bohemianfoundation.org, call 970-221-2636 or email .

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“We are inspired by the ways our grantees bring together the Northern Colorado community through music,” said Tom Scharf, Bohemian Foundation’s Chief Music Officer. “Their missions connect people of all ages and musical experiences. It’s an honor to support our grantees’ work in the community through Muse.”

Muse is a music-specific responsive grantmaking program of Bohemian Foundation that makes awards up to $20,000 to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving Larimer and Weld Counties. Funding requests must align with one or more of Bohemian Foundation’s Music Programs goals: to provide youth with encouragement and opportunities to express themselves through music; to help musicians and music-related businesses grow and develop; and to increase performances of live contemporary music.

Click here to view the full list of Spring 2018 Muse recipients.

Bohemian Foundation will begin accepting applications for Muse grants again in September 2018. Visit BohemianFoundation.org for more information.

Bohemian Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2001. Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, Bohemian Foundation works to empower citizens and impact communities through its responsive grant making programs and special initiatives.

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With financial support from local businesses, foundations and individuals, students from the Poudre and Thompson School Districts awarded grants to recipients including FoCo Café; Alternatives to Violence; and Boys and Girls Clubs of Larimer County. Give Next is a partnership of community volunteers and organizations that includes Bohemian Foundation, the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado, Poudre School District, Thompson School District and the Give Next Advisory Committee.

“Give Next is made possible through the support and participation of so many stakeholders in our community,” said Sara Maranowicz, Bohemian Foundation’s Community Programs Director. “The local nonprofits who share their missions with students, the teachers and volunteers who prioritize this learning opportunity, the community donors who show their confidence in this next generation of leaders—and of course, the Larimer County students who take community causes to heart and make a difference through grantmaking.”

Give Next is a school-based youth philanthropy program designed to provide middle and high school students with experience in philanthropic giving. Through the program, local businesses, foundations and individuals become classroom donors by providing each participating school with $5,000 to award to Larimer County nonprofits. Many of the students from participating schools also complete their own fundraisers to add to the $5,000 grant amount provided by donors. Throughout the year, students design and manage their own grantmaking programs. Students work together to identify community needs; choose a focus area; create their own mission statement; research nonprofits; volunteer; conduct site visits; review grant applications and make funding decisions. At the end of the school year, students award grants to selected nonprofits. Through the process, Give Next enables students to experience the power of teamwork, the impact they can have on their community and the rewards of giving time, talent and treasure.

Currently, 15 middle and high schools in Poudre and Thompson School Districts participate in Give Next. Since the program’s inception in 2012, nearly $315,000 has been awarded to a variety of nonprofits serving Larimer County. Every donor dollar goes directly to student grantmaking. For more information about becoming a Give Next classroom donor or about participating in the program, contact Jodie Riesenberger at 970-221-2636 or .

Note to editors: Download this news release as a PDF to see the full list of grant recipients.

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The event will take place as part of Bohemian Nights Presents Thursday Night Live, from 7-9 p.m. in Old Town Square, Fort Collins. The celebration will introduce the 100th piano to the community and will feature a special “first song” performed by Hazel Miller Band. The community is invited to the event to learn more about the program’s history, view photos of all 99 pianos and see the 100th piano.

Pianos About Town brings local art and spontaneous music to the streets of Fort Collins. Pianos About Town started in 2010 as a collaboration among Bohemian Foundation, the Downtown Development Authority and the City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places Program. Community members watch as local artists transform donated pianos into public art.

Scattered among 20 locations across town in the summer, and six locations in the winter, the completed pianos offer surprise interruptions of color and music across Fort Collins. The whimsical pianos beckon to passersby and invite them to make and listen to music together.

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Local artists selected to paint pianos for 2018 are: Chris Bates, Ren Burke, Clint Burkholder, Diana Dellos, Chelsea Emer, Chelsea Gilmore, Mary Harnett, Kyla Novak, Burt Nunnelee, Werner Schreiber, Robin Street, Larry Tucci and Kristen Vohs.

“This season’s artists bring a wide range of experience to the program; a former marine, a teacher, a retiree, and more.” said Ellen Martin, Visual Arts Administrator for Art in Public Places. “Each artist has a unique perspective that is visible in their work.”

Outdoor summer painting will take place May through October underneath the Art in Action tent on the south side of Fort Collins’ Old Town Square.

The Aug. 2 celebration will feature the unveiling of a special 100th piano as part of Bohemian Nights Presents Thursday Night Live in Fort Collins’ Old Town Square. Event details will be released in late June.

About Pianos About Town

Pianos About Town brings local art and spontaneous music to the streets of Fort Collins. Pianos About Town started in 2010 as a collaboration among Bohemian Foundation, the Downtown Development Authority and the City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places Program. Community members watch as local artists transform donated pianos into public art.

Scattered among 20 locations across town in the summer, and six locations in the winter, the completed pianos offer surprise interruptions of color and music across Fort Collins. The whimsical pianos beckon to passersby and invite them to make and listen to music together.

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