The Artists 360 program for local artists has been renewed for another three years, and was expanded to include additional grants, organizers announced today.
The Mid-America Arts Alliance program is made possible from support by the Walton Family Foundation. Its aim is to identify and elevate the region’s leading artists.
The program began in 2018 as a three-year pilot that ultimately provided $342,000 in grants to 60 artists of all disciplines.
“We are so grateful to the Walton Family Foundation for their continuing investment in artists in Northwest Arkansas and deepened support for the Artists 360 program,” said Todd Stein, president and CEO of Mid-America Arts Alliance. “We look forward to providing support to the next cohorts of artists who reside in the greater NW Arkansas region of Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Sebastian, and Washington counties.”
Just like during the pilot program, 20 artists will be chosen each year for grants. Practicing professional artists who are chosen will receive $7,500, while student artists will be awarded a $1,500 grant.
Two additional categories will debut this year, including Community Activator Grants that will provide $15,000 awards to four artists or artist-led collectives annually, and the Creative Impact Award which will give $25,000 annually to an individual artist in the region.
In total, this next iteration will include $600,000 in funding.
Rachel Lynett, a 2019 grant winner, used her funding to create a new play.
“This grant helped me creatively so much,” said Lynett. “In a very dark time when I lost a lot of work, this grant helped me create a virtual theatre company, Rachel Lynett Theatre Company, and that’s how we were able to do a presentation of the play. Honestly, with the pandemic, it felt like creating theatre would be impossible, and the grant gave me room to explore the possibilities.”
Lynett was recently awarded the 2021 Yale Drama Series Prize for her play “Apologies to Lorraine Hansberry (You Too August Wilson).”
Applications will open in June 2021 for the next cohort. Artists must live in either Benton County, Carroll County, Crawford County Sebastian County or Washington County to be eligible for a grant.
Those interested in applying for the fourth year of grants, should visit artists360.art/apply for more information.
