Applications Open to: Faculty, Staff, and Students
Thanks to the spirit and generosity of the festival's benefactors Kathy (Kofoed) Lougheed '54 and her late husband Don Lougheed (Hon. '54), SUNY Potsdam celebrates the campus culture of creativity and reinforces how important the arts are to learning environments for every discipline as well as a lifetime of creativity for anyone who is passionate about the arts.
The LoKo Arts Festival was founded in 2012, with the purpose of infusing energy and opportunity into the visual and performing arts of the SUNY Potsdam campus and community. The LoKo Festival's vigorous programs ensure the growth and continued position of Potsdam as SUNY's premiere arts campus by inviting artists, students and community members to engage in creative ways while stimulating a vibrant cultural landscape on our campus.
For the 2025-26 cycle, LoKo Arts funding will be distributed as grants to project awardees. There will be two (2) opportunities for funding:
- Priority Funding for projects occurring during a 5-day culminating Spring LoKo Arts Festival: April 29 - May 3, 2026. Applications for the 2026 LoKo Arts Festival closes October 24, 2025 with decisions by November 14, 2025.
* The LoKo Arts Festival 2026 is especially interested in homegrown projects that showcase the talent, research and innovative ideas of our faculty, staff, alumni & students. Past examples include:- Rocks Revealed: Geology Light Box exhibit
- Broadway Showcase
- Traditional Papermaking & Calligraphy
- Secondary Funding on a rolling basis for LoKo Arts sponsored projects held outside of the LoKo Arts Festival window occurring during the 2025-26 Academic Calendar and no later than March 29, 2026 (4 weeks ahead of the culminating Spring Festival). Rolling Applications are accepted continuously until funds are exhausted but must still be reviewed by the Committee and evaluated. Please follow up with an email to lokoarts@potsdam.edu requesting a review and including a funding decision date of at least 8 weeks from date of submission (both email and application). The Committee will do its best to review and make a recommendation by the date requested.
2025-26 Total Funds Available: $45,000
Funding Tiers:
- Tier 1: Up to $1,000
- Tier 2: $1,000- $4,000
- Tier 3: $4,000- $7,000
Approximately 60-80% will be allocated to projects held during the LoKo Arts Festival (April 29 - May 3, 2026) and 20-40% will be allocated to rolling projects. Any funds not awarded during the 2025-26 cycle will be rolled forward to the 2026-27 cycle.
For more information please contact lokoarts@potsdam.edu to set up a meeting.