Since 2015, Downtown Halifax Business Commission’s (DHBC) Gritty to Pretty grant program (a placemaking initiative) has been uplifting artists and beautifying the urban core. 

“Every spring, we put a call out for ‘artists that want to leave their mark on Downtown Halifax,’ and every year, we get to see the most beautiful public art ideas,” says Kimberly Dossett, DHBC’s Director of Finance & Operations (and Founder of the program.) “I remember our first year we had 8 applicants, and last spring we had 27 applicants. This year we received 56! It grows every year, which is a wonderful thing.”

Each year DHBC asks artists to submit for multiple projects as long as they fall within the five grant streams: (1) Open Grant, (2) Mural Grant, (3) Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) Mural Grant, (4) BIPOC Open Grant, and (5) Façade Lighting Grant. 

Over the last ten years, Gritty to Pretty has worked with over 60 artists and invested upwards of $600,000 into beautifying Downtown Halifax.  

Applications for 2025 are closed, but the applications for the 2026 program will be posted here in May 2026.

To see this year's grant recipients, including our sponsored Halifax Mural projects, click here.

To view all current public art in Downtown Halifax, take our Self-Guided Art Tour.