Louisville is on the hunt for ideas that will use the arts to help the city boost tourism, bolster its economy or even solve some of its problems.

Mayor Greg Fischer announced Tuesday Louisville has half a million dollars ready to fund ideas that fit into the priorities of the Imagine Greater Louisville 2020 master plan that was launched in April. The deadline for proposals is Sept. 25.

"We need to get everybody involved and we’d like to hear suggestions from every part of our community," Fischer said to a room of nearly 50 people in a Portland neighborhood artist's studio. "And the more creative the better."

Proposals, if selected, would be funded by $250,000 the Louisville Metro Council approved in its 2017-18 budget.

The budgets for the proposed projects could be as small as $500 or $5,000, said Fund for the Arts President Christen Boone. The Fund is the administrating organization of Imagine 2020. Proposals should be ready for implementation in January.

The city included the quarter million dollars in its budget for Imagine 2020 on the condition the project find matching funds, said Penny Peavler, co-chair of the of the organization’s steering committee.

That match of $250,000 came from the Louisville Fund for the Arts’ Jennifer Lawrence Art Fund.

"When we started the Jennifer Lawrence Arts Fund just last year, we really wanted to create something that would support and possibly impact this community," said Meredith Lawrence, president of that fund and the actress' sister-in-law. "Today, we gave an excellent opportunity to do that."

The money from the Jennifer Lawrence Art Fund has been raised through the annual Awards in the Arts Gala at Churchill Downs to celebrate the arts and recognize local artists, arts groups and patrons. The Jennifer Lawrence Foundation has contributed to the event.

Background:5 to be honored at Churchill Downs during Annual Awards in the Arts

Read this:Imagine Greater Louisville 2020 arts plan unveiled

“This is a call for how arts and culture can best serve this community — really tapping into our most creative people and organization to solve some of our biggest problems,” said Peavler.

Peavler and Boone talked about how applicants might have new ideas about ways art and culture could work with the city’s young people and address economic issues in different neighborhoods.

At the announcement, Peavler urged people throughout the city who are interested in submitting a proposal to review the priorities of the Imagine 2020 arts plan.

"Think about how those action points can come to life in your own neighborhood. What do you want to see happen in this community?" she said.

Metro Councilwoman Marianne Butler, D-15th, said she supports funding Imagine 2020 and has already seen what arts programs, like Kentucky Shakespeare, have done with programs based on conflict resolution in her own district.

“If young people are able to pick up a (musical) instrument instead of a weapon and make a living with it than we are all for that. We just want to expose young people to as many things as we can to let them know there are many options out there,” she said.

You may like:Auditioning for 'American Idol' in Louisville? Here are the rules

Read this:WorldFest leads the Top 5 shows in Louisville Aug. 31-Sept. 6

Boone said the $250,000 from Metro Louisville will be used for the first round of grants to be distributed in January. The money from the Jennifer Lawrence Arts Fund will be used for larger projects later and to monitor the impact of projects.

Braylyn Stewart, the artist who hosted the announcement event in his Portland studio, said he plans to propose an education project he's been thinking about for several years. It involves covering the history of urban murals and teaching participants how to paint murals.

"It's been a wild fantasy for a while," he said.

Informational sessions for potential applicants are at 6 p.m. Sept. 6 at the California Community Center, 1600 W. Saint Catherine St. and 9:30 a.m. Sept. 7 at the Southwest Regional Library, 9725 Dixie Highway.

Project proposals are due Sept. 25. After the Imagine 2020 subcommittee reviews the proposals, the organization will put them up on the website for public comment in October.

Reach reporter Elizabeth Kramer at 502-582-4682 and ekramer@courier-journal.com. Follow her on Twitter @arts_bureau and on Facebook at Elizabeth Kramer - Arts Writer.