Newtown Cultural Arts Commission (NCAC) has announced that its Annual Grant Competition is open. The commission will award up to $1,000 to a Newtown artist and up to $1,000 to a Newtown arts organization. The grant application deadline is August 22.

The application is available online at newtownartscommission.org/grants-scholarships/.

Funds for the grants come from the proceeds of the annual two day Newtown Arts Festival. This year's festival - the fifth annual presentation - will be September 17-18, again at Fairfield Hills.

The festival is part of the month long Newtown Arts Festival, with activities throughout September.

More information about the festival is available at newtownartsfestival.com.

Now in its fourth year, the award has previously gone to a photographer, an artistic printer, a filmmaker, and a theater group, among others. The first year's winner was Johnny Williams, a sculptural carpenter who went on to become a finalist in the Martha Stewart American Made Program.

The winners of the grant will be invited to show or sell their art at the Cultural Arts Commission tent at the arts festival and will have the services of the commission's PR committee the year they are recipients.