Some of the artists that received funding from Artists 360 today. All photos: Kat Wilson

Twenty artists from the region received a total of $114,000 in grant funding this week.

The artists applied for, and received funding form Artists 360, a program created by the Mid-American Arts Alliance through funding from the Walton Family Foundation.

Fourteen artists received project grants in the amount of $7,500. Those artists included Brody Parrish Craig, Carolyn Guinzio, and Molly Bess Rector in the literary arts category, Karen Castleman, JD Clayton, Bernice Hembree, and Cynthia Post Hunt in the Performing Arts Category, Roy Pilgrim in the Traditional Arts category, and Dayton Castleman, Octavio Logo, Linda Lopez, Aimee Papazian, Kasey Ramirez, and John Rankine in the Visual Arts category.

In addition, artists J. Bailey Hutchinson, Lynette Thrower, Genevieve Ryan-Olson, Job Smoot, Olivia Fredricks, and Hannah McBroom each received $1,500 awards.

Artists were selected to represent four counties; Benton, Carroll, Sebastian, and Washington.

“The Artists 360 program was designed to identify and elevate the Northwest Arkansas area’s leading artists and to address critical gaps in support by providing the funding, professional development, and networking opportunities needed for them to thrive,” said Todd Stein, president and CEO of Mid-American Arts Alliance. “We are deeply impressed by the depth of talent and range of artistic expression in the region as reflected in these artists, and the contributions they make in their respective communities. We are honored to invest in their work and careers.

Today’s awards are the first in a planned three-year pilot program intended to serve a total of sixty individual artists in NWA by 2021. In addition to the cash prize, the artists will also receive professional development and support services.

For more information about the program, visit artists360.art.