South Prize and Cultural Business Enterprise Pilot
At a glance
What: Two Southtown arts activations: South Prize, a mini ArtPrize across six business districts, and a pilot paying certified microlocal musicians for live shows.
Where it stands: Presented September 8, 2026. South Prize voting day is September 26 with finalists announced October 3; the music pilot requests $20,000.
Next: Event delivery on September 26 and the October 3 announcement; a post-pilot outcome review for the music model.
Details
South Prize budget is up to $73,750, mostly from the Southtown Corridor Improvement Authority, with up to $30,000 from the Third Ward Equity Fund for trolleys (no quotes yet).
The music pilot uses the microlocal business certification, with the Michigan Music Alliance, to pay at least 15 artists for free public shows.
Sources
Economic Development Project Team 2026-09-08, YouTube auto-generated captions.
Staff presented both items; the mayor noted the music pilot is a city-funded cultural activity, and a commissioner asked why trolley costs exceeded an earlier shuttle pilot (different scope and a ballpark figure).