Latino Artist Access Program

The LAAP is born

As a result of the Latino Arts Residency Program Review that took place from January to April 2019, it was recommended that the program change its name to the Latino Artist Access Program. This program builds on the amazing work of the LARP participants who have participated in past years, and it will continue to strengthen the Latinx arts community of Austin for years to come.

• Memorandum of Recommendations for LAAP
• Summary of Recommendations

Apply now to be a LAAP Artist - Deadline April 18, 2019

Application in Spanish will be available soon!

Program Guidelines

The program is open to emerging and professional artists. The program is funded by the City of Austin's General Fund so artists served should live in Austin or its extra-territorial jurisdiction. Currently, there is no studio space for visual artists to work on their art.

Artists do not have to be Cultural Contractors, but information about how to become a Cultural Contractor (receiving project or organizational funding from the City of Austin’s Cultural Arts Division of the Economic Development Department) can be made available to artists wishing to receive funding. Otherwise, no production support (labor or materials) or funding is available through this program. 

Artists receive the use of space based on availability at the ESB-MACC. Some restrictions apply to cancellations or last-minute reservations. Artists receive free rehearsal space or space to create artworks and space to hold free performances. Space for performances is rented to the artists at a cost of $1 per ticket sold.

The contract for the program is still under development. The contract will specify the terms and conditions of the LAAP. Please specify your requested dates for FY20 (October 2019 to September 2020) in the application.

Applications are due April 18, 2019 by midnight. The applications will be adjudicated by a Latinx panel of arts professionals prior to a public meeting. The date of the public meeting has not been set but will occur before May 1, 2019. Artists are ranked in order of their application scores; staff then attempt to meet the dates of all applicants from the top of the list down. The number of artists who are accepted into the program depends on the scheduling requests of the applicants. Apply here.

Artists are required to meet with all Local, State and Federal laws. This includes compliance with the City of Austin’s Local Standards of Care ,which stipulates that all persons working with children undergo a Criminal Background Investigation. Other laws apply to the sale or service of alcohol, use of fire or fireworks, parking on grass and structures in proximity to trees, and others. There are some requirements for acknowledging the sponsorship of the City on marketing materials.

Artists are not required to provide an educational program in conjunction with their participation in the program. However, additional points may be given in the scoring of applications during the selection process for educational programs of high quality.