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Staff outlines Nexus application surge and Elevate pilot timeline; ACME says early fall launch planned
Summary
City cultural funding staff reported 551 Nexus applications and said Nexus has funding for roughly 100 awards (about an 18% acceptance rate). Staff and ACME officials said Elevate remains a pilot heading into a third year, with a target to relaunch in early fall and activities beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
City cultural funding staff told the Arts Commission that Nexus drew 551 applications in the most recent cycle and that managers expect funding for roughly 100 awards.
Jesus Pantel, cultural funding supervisor, said 547 applications were submitted in English and four in Spanish. "As it stands now, that's an 18 acceptance rate," Pantel said, describing a far lower acceptance rate than in prior funding programs and noting the program had enough funding for 100 grant awards.
Pantel said the eligibility review is largely complete and that eligible applications have been sent to reviewers at the Long Center in hopes of making award announcements in mid-April so Nexus activities may start May 1 and run a year. He also confirmed final reports are due 30 days after a project finishes, rounded to the end of the month.
On Elevate, staff said the city is treating the program as pilot year three and is aiming to limit funding disruptions while incorporating community feedback and anticipated legislative changes. "Goal is for early fall," Pantel said of the relaunch timeline; staff said the earliest in-program activity would be Jan. 1, 2026.
Candace Cooper, interim chief administrative officer for the Office of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (ACME), described community engagement plans and said ACME would lead a more robust outreach effort. "ACME is 1 month old today. We were born on 02/24/2025, so we're 1 month old baby," Cooper said.
Commissioners pressed for detail. Several asked when the pilot will stop being a pilot and for a line-by-line account of which working-group recommendations will be folded into the next Elevate launch. Staff said many recommendations have already been internally reviewed, with some changes feasible for the near-term rollout and others held for later modification. Staff committed to provide a red-line or timeline over the summer so commissioners and the public can see what changes have been accepted, what must wait, and why.
Clarifying details: Pantel said Nexus final report deadlines and contract period allow activity anytime between May 1, 2025, and April 30, 2026, with final Nexus final reports due by May 30, 2026; Nexus had 551 applications overall and funding for 100 awards. Elevate remains a pilot with a planned early-fall relaunch and a target for activity beginning January 2026.
Ending: Staff said they will provide a more detailed timeline and a response to working-group recommendations over the summer and will work with ACME to align community engagement and the Elevate launch.
