Norman artists who received grants from the Norman Arts Council will talk about how those awards shaped their work at a free public event on Sept. 10 at MAINSITE Contemporary Art in downtown Norman.
The Artist Grants Artist Talks event begins at 6 p.m. at MAINSITE, 122 E. Main. The Norman Arts Council announced the event on X on Aug. 21, noting the lineup of artists had not yet been announced.
The event is free.
The council's Artist Grants program awards up to four grants of $1,500 each per round across three categories: Community Project, Creative Project, and Education/Travel. Applicants must have lived in Norman for at least 12 months to qualify. The council accepted applications for its second round of 2025-2026 fiscal year grants through June 3, according to its grants page.
Among the council's recent grant recipients is photographer Cody Giles, who serves on the Norman Music Festival organizational board and has worked with the Arts Council on photography, PR, graphic design and social media. Giles opened his solo exhibition "Selfish Art" at Uncanny Art House on Aug. 14.
"I would want someone to see how active the community is in supporting the arts and each other," Giles said in an Aug. 10 profile by the Norman Convention & Visitors Bureau, ahead of that exhibition opening.
The Norman Arts Council, which has operated since 1976, is housed at MAINSITE. According to the most recent available data from Americans for the Arts' AEP6 national study, covering fiscal year 2022-23, the nonprofit arts and culture sector in Norman generates a $36.1 million local economic footprint and supports 596 jobs.
The Arts Council has not yet announced the full speaker lineup for the Sept. 10 event. More information about the grant program is available at normanarts.org/artistgrants.
Upcoming community events:
- Thursday, Sept. 10, 6 p.m. — Artist Grants Artist Talks, MAINSITE Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main, Norman. Free.
- Through Sept. 27 — "Selfish Art" by Cody Giles, Uncanny Art House, Norman.
