The City of Flagstaff entered into a five-year contract, Contract no. 2025-176, starting in FY26, with Flagstaff Arts Council (doing business as Creative Flagstaff).  Per this contract, Creative Flagstaff is engaged to provide a myriad of services related to the arts, sciences, and culture sectors in the community. The contract is funded by a local 2% transaction privilege tax on the hotel and restaurant activities in Flagstaff (also known as the bed, board, and beverage or BBB tax).

Creative Flagstaff serves as both a Grant Making Agency (GMA), and a Lead Arts Agency (LAA). GMA activities focus on providing a fair, impartial, and beneficial process to make grants to non-profit partners and projects. LAA activities focus on elevating the arts in flagstaff through educational workshops, events, and exhibitions. 

The contract requires Creative Flagstaff as the GMA to make a verbal presentation to City Council and written report summarizing funding allocations and benefits achieved through grant process; and as the LAA to present to Council at least once per fiscal year to demonstrate activities, accomplishments, challenges and the state of the arts, culture and science sectors in Flagstaff.

Beautification and Public Art Commission (BPAC) heard a presentation of Creative Flagstaff’s LAA programming and GMA administration overview on March 9, 2026.

BPAC heard a presentation on pass through project grants, Arts & Sciences Innovation/Capacity Building and ARTx, administered by Creative Flagstaff on February 9, 2026.

Council approved a five-year contract, with three one-year extensions, with Creative Flagstaff to serve as the City's Lead Arts Agency (LAA) and Grantmaking Agency (GMA) for Arts, Culture and Science on May 20, 2025 (attached).