Milwaukee Artists: Joy Engine Wants Your Unexpected, Experimental, Maybe-Even-a-Little-Ridiculous Ideas
2027 JOY Grants offer up to $10,000 per project for free community art experiences; applications due November 2
MILWAUKEE — What would you create for your community if someone gave you the money to try? Joy Engine is inviting Milwaukee artists and community groups to answer that question through its 2027 JOY Grants, with up to $50,000 available to bring imaginative public art projects to life.
Applications are now open for grants of up to $10,000 each. The nonprofit is looking for unexpected, experimental and playful ideas that make people stop, look, participate, wonder, laugh and gather. Projects must be free and publicly accessible within the City of Milwaukee to be eligible. The deadline to apply is Monday, November 2, 2026.
“We want to hear the idea you’ve been holding back on because you weren’t sure anyone would fund it,” said Steph Salvia, executive director of Joy Engine. “Something surprising, ambitious or maybe even a little ridiculous. What could you create that would make people join in or see their neighborhood differently? We want to imagine it with you.”
Joy Engine brings people together through free public art and direct investment in artists. To date, its JOY Grant program has supported 29 projects with more than $220,000 in funding. The grants are open to individual artists as well as organizations, giving local creators resources to explore new ideas and build connections in the neighborhoods where they live or work.
For Milwaukee artist Natalie Derr, a 2025 JOY Grant helped turn an interest in cowboy culture into her first documentary. Forged by Steele follows Issac Steele, a third-generation Black cowboy who operates a Milwaukee welding shop and mentors local youth. Derr had never made a film before pursuing the project. With Joy Engine’s support, she explored a new medium while sharing a story rooted in her own city.
The film premiered March 29, 2026, at Milwaukee’s Oriental Theatre and has since received four nominations at The Wild Bunch Film Festival in Tucson, Arizona: Best Documentary Western Film; Best Narrator, Documentary, for Evan Christian; Best Female Director, Documentary Western Film, for Derr; and Best 1st Time Documentary Filmmaker for Derr. The film was also recently selected for the Milwaukee Independent Film Awards Festival.
“The Joy Grant gave me permission to turn a thought into a project and then into a space where Milwaukee gets to know Milwaukee,” said Derr. “What I love about the Joy Grant is it validates that Joy is a real factor that improves the energy and resilience in our city, how cool is that?!”
That spirit of discovery is central to this year’s invitation. Proposed projects might include temporary art installations, performances, new community programs or creative improvements to public spaces. Joy Engine encourages applicants to think imaginatively about how art can bring neighbors together and create a sense of belonging.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants include individual artists working in visual and performing arts or creative placemaking, students, schools, neighborhood associations, community organizations and eligible nonprofits. Applicants younger than 18 must partner with a lead organizer or their school.
Projects must:
• Take place within the City of Milwaukee, in the neighborhood where the applicant lives or works
• Be publicly accessible without admission or entrance fees
• Include documentation of the creative process and completed project
• Be completed by December 31, 2027.
Applications will be evaluated on their ability to inspire joy, the applicant’s capacity to carry out the project and the creativity of its design or community engagement. Standalone murals are not eligible, but may be included as part of a broader community-centered initiative. Funding does not cover routine maintenance, repairs or recurring events.
How to apply
Applications and full guidelines are available at joyengine.org/communitychallenge. Applications are due Monday, November 2, 2026, and applicants will be notified in December 2026.
Questions may be emailed to [email protected].
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