Newtown Cultural Arts Commission (NCAC) is reminding local organizations, groups and clubs that provide art opportunities to the community that they are invited to apply for a $1,000 project grant.

Deadline for the grant, sponsored by NCAC, is March 2.

Although any group or organization that is applying for the grant does not have to be registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the applicant must be an established Newtown entity. Along with expanding the eligibility for the grant, the commission has also simplified and shortened the grant application.

NCAC will continue a grant opportunity for individual Newtown artists. The same application is used for organization grants and individual grants and is available for download at newtownartscommission.org (click on NCAC Projects, within the column on the left side of the page, and then on Grants and Scholarships).

In announcing the grant in January, NCAC noted that it was expanding the definition of who may apply for the organization grant. The organization grant will be awarded to a group, club, or organization that enriches the cultural life of Newtown, although that may not be the main mission of the group or organization.

The funds for the grants come from the proceeds of the 2017 Newtown Arts Festival, a project of the cultural commission.

Past winners of the organization grants have included Flagpole Photographers Camera Club, The Town Players of Newtown, and Stray Kats Theatre Company.

Individual grants have been won by Virginia Zimmerman, the artist who created the Welcome to Newtown mural on the Church Hill Road railroad bridge support; and Max Galassi, an accomplished filmmaker who won the grant while still in high school.

Along with the $1,000, the winning organization and individual artists will be invited to show their accomplishments in NCAC's tent at the 7th Newtown Arts Festival, set this year for September 14-16 on the grounds of Fairfield Hills.