ArtsFairfax Funds 13 Local Organizations Through Project Support Grants

As part of the nonprofit's funding opportunities, ArtsFairfax awarded $160,000 in Project Support Grants to 13 local arts organizations to encourage wider participation in the arts through unique cultural programming.

“ArtsFairfax Project Support Grantees demonstrate how innovative arts programming can make a significant impact on new and under-resourced audiences. We are proud to support these local arts nonprofits for their unique arts and arts learning opportunities,” says Kelley Choi, ArtsFairfax Director of Grants & Community Partnerships.

ArtsFairfax invests approximately $800,000 in funding to local arts nonprofits annually; in addition to ArtsFairfax Operating Support Grants and Ticket & Participation Subsidy Grants, Project Support Grants are offered on an annual basis in four subcategories:

Arts in Education, which take place in schools, afterschool programs, or nonprofit agencies;
Opportunity, which furthers the growth and development of organizations' capacity to create new arts experiences;
Partnerships, to facilitate collaboration with an artist, artist team, or nonprofit cultural group for culturally unique projects and presentations; and
Arts Access, which strengthens arts engagement by allocating resources to underserved and economically disadvantaged communities.

For FY26, ArtsFairfax Project Support Grants will fund the following programs:

1st Stage will produce Indecent by Paula Vogel as part of their “Community Conversations,” a series of pre- or post-performance discussions to tackle the production's themes and related social issues. Grant funding will also support opportunities for select community organizations and public schools to meet with show creatives and benefit from ticket discounts.

Artists in Motion/Alchemy Ballet will present Andalusian Nutcracker, fusing authentic cultural traditions of Andalusia with Tchaikovsky's classic ballet. With original choreography and musical interpretation, Andalusian Nutcracker will feature live Flamenco music by legendary guitarist Torcuato Zamora, along with Furia Flamenca and other special guest artists, and a culminating celebration hosted by the Spanish Embassy.

ArtSpireVA will collaborate with West Potomac Arts Academy (WPAA) and ClancyWorks Dance to deliver a ten-part program in Fairfax County, expanding dance, arts education, performance, and career-readiness opportunities to underserved populations.

Community Art for Everyone's “Art in Daily Spaces” is their annual exhibition in Annandale, VA, to animate Annandale businesses and community spaces—including hair salons, cafés, banks, senior living facilities, government offices, and restaurants—into temporary art galleries.

Creative Cauldron will produce the Bold New Voices Festival of staged readings, directed by people of color, to present plays and musicals written by women or women-identifying writers. The readings will be free to the public, and audience members will vote on one of the works to be included in Creative Cauldron's upcoming season.

Daily Poetry Association's “Poetry Alive!” is a therapeutic program for residents of juvenile detention centers and shelters which serves students aged 14–17 at the Fairfax County Juvenile Detention Center (JDC). Grant funding will allow for the program's expansion to support an additional teaching fellow.

Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO)'s “Link Up: The Orchestra Moves!” is an innovative education program for third- through sixth-grade students. The program provides comprehensive teacher and student materials and culminates with the opportunity for students to perform with the professional orchestra.

Little City Concerts will present a program for Trans Day of Remembrance, featuring the music of DC-based trans/andina composer inti figgis-vizueta, alongside works by Franz Liszt and Gabriel Faure. A Tribute for Trans Day of Remembrance: In Memory of Sam Nordquist is organized by Falls Church City pianist Mary Voutsas.

NextStop Theatre Company will expand its free, 12-week “Stars on Stage” Theater Residency program in Spring 2026 to serve up to 150 students in grades 3–6 at three Fairfax County Title I elementary schools. Through twice-weekly after-school sessions, students will rehearse and perform a fully staged musical with guidance from a team of professional teaching artists.

Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art will offer free, high-quality arts engagement opportunities during the 35th annual Tephra ICA Arts Festival. Grant funding will support artist demonstrations, a juror-led walking tour, artist-facilitated workshops, and a new on-demand audio guide.

Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation will present From Archives to Art: Their Stories Lead Us, a public history and arts education project to develop a series of interpretive walking tour scripts and materials highlighting the untold stories of African American and women trailblazers in Falls Church.

Virginia Ballet Company and School launched its Adaptive Dance Program for 6th–9th graders with diverse physical, intellectual, sensory, behavioral, and adaptive needs. The project expands their youth program and adds adaptive programming for adults by building a partnership with other adult adaptive programs in their community.

Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts works in partnership with community centers and service-based organizations to provide a blend of arts-based services with a focus on families with children aged three months to six years old. Grant funding is used to offer residencies and workshops free of charge.