A new Arkansas Art Council grant is poised to bring more arts to Arkansas’s military veterans.
“We are pleased to be able to serve those who have so selflessly served our country by offering this new grant opportunity,” said Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. “By creating this grant, we aim to make sure our veterans have access to programs that make a difference in their lives.”
Nonprofit organizations can now apply for mini-grants of up to $1,000 per project to fund programming, projects and workshops that are specifically for veterans. Requests do not require matching funds, and applications can be submitted year round.
In-kind contributions are encouraged but not required, and organizations may submit applications for more than one project. Applications must be submitted under the Arts for Lifelong Learning grants program.
Applicants also are encouraged to hire artists on the Arts in Education Roster. “We’d love to bring new artists and new voices onto our Roster and to make artists more readily available for arts projects that support and serve veterans,” Director Patrick Ralston said.
Applications will be accepted immediately. Grant requests will be reviewed and funded like other mini-grants offered by the Arkansas Arts Council. Application forms are available online.
The veterans’ grant is based on a well-received pilot program the Arkansas Arts Council rolled out last year. Nationwide, the National Endowment for the Arts has encouraged states to create more arts programs, workshops and services for veterans. The Arkansas Arts Council’s grant is an effort to heed NEA’s call and to improve the quality of life among Arkansas’s veterans.
“The arts have been proven to help veterans mentally, emotionally and physically. The arts have the power to heal in more ways than one,” Ralston said.
The new grant could help thousands of Arkansans. Among about 19 million veterans who live in the U.S., about 207,000 live in Arkansas, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau statistics.
For more information, contact Drekkia Morning, arts in education manager, at [email protected] or 501-324-9348.
