There are four grants and one award within the Artists 360 program: Undergraduate Student Artist grants, Graduate Student Artist grants, Practicing Artist Project grants, Community Activator grants, and the Creative Impact Award (by nomination). Each program is designed to support artists at various stages of their career development. Carefully review the criteria for each section to determine which grant category is the best fit for you.
Artists may create work in any discipline, including, but not limited to dance, film, literary, music, theatre, and visual arts.
Undergraduate and Graduate Student Artists must be enrolled in an accredited post-secondary institution located in one of the following counties: Benton Carroll, Crawford, Sebastian, or Washington, during the 2024-25 academic year. Undergraduate and Graduate Students Artists may be pursuing a degree in any field. If selected, Undergraduate and Graduate Student Artists must remain at their post-secondary institution during the 2024-25 academic year.
Practicing Artists in Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Sebastian, or Washington Counties in Northwest Arkansas are eligible to apply. Applicants must not be enrolled in a degree-seeking program, be at least 18 years of age at time of application, and must be a U.S. citizen or have non-resident status.
Community Activators in Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Sebastian, or Washington Counties in Northwest Arkansas are eligible to apply. Applicants must not be enrolled in a degree-seeking program, be at least 18 years of age at time of application, and must be a U.S. citizen or have non-resident status.
The Creative Impact Award is awarded by nomination. Self-nominations are accepted. Nominees may come from any artistic discipline, including but not limited to dance, film, folk, music, theater, and visual art. This opportunity is designed for artists that can be leaders and provocateurs for the artistic community in Northwest Arkansas. Artists that will be considered are at least mid-career, make exceptional work and are professionally recognized both within Arkansas and nationally, have noted contributions to Northwest Arkansas’s cultural ecosystem, and live in one of the following Arkansas counties: Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Sebastian, and Washington.
Yes, you can apply for more than one category, but you may only receive one grant or award.
You are welcome to apply again, but you will need to apply for a grant in a different category than the one in which you received the previous award.
Yes, you are both welcome to apply for an Artists 360 grant in different or the same category regardless of the shared project. Artists 360 funding is a practice-based program and does not require a project as part of the application.
No. Artists 360 grants are for individuals only.
M-AAA staff is available to help you with your application. Prior to grant deadlines, M-AAA holds information sessions (virtual and in-person) as well as office hours for one-on-one assistance. To sign up follow this Calendly link or email: artistservices@maaa.org.
We encourage you to draft your responses to the application questions in a Word document or other text document. This will allow you to review and edit your responses and ensure that your response stays within the word count limitations. Once you are happy with your answers, copy and paste your responses into the online application. Be sure to review your responses once they have been pasted into the text box to ensure that the full copy transferred and no errors occurred.
Ideally, all uploaded documents will include the artists first and last names as well as the content of the document. For example, FirstnameLastnameSample1. Be sure to upload your documents in one of the accepted formats, as indicated on the application, and upload the documents to the correct location.
M-AAA staff organize review panels unique for each category that consist of artists and arts professionals to review applications. Panelists are selected based on their diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experience.
No. Applications must be submitted by the stated deadline to be reviewed.
After notification, applicants will have the opportunity to receive written feedback.
Yes. All Artists 360 fellows must attend the in-person Artists 360 Retreat on October 19-20, 2024 at the 21c Museum Hotel in Bentonville, AR. (Food and private accommodations provided). The focus will be to assist artists in managing their proposed projects through peer-to-peer learning and leveraging the Artists 360 opportunity for both short and long-term success. The retreat will be facilitated by working artists from across the Mid-America Arts Alliance region.
Artists 360 fellows are also encouraged to attend the Spring Alumni Retreat and Full Circle Showcase in Bentonville, AR, April 26-27, 2025.
Artists will also receive two (2), One-On-One sessions with Artist Peer Facilitators and will need to attend two Small Group sessions throughout the grant period.
Professional development is an important part of the Artists 360 program. Fellows enjoy a series of activities that enhance their learning experience during the grant period. Fellows participate in an in-person retreat that provides a forum for dialogue among grant recipients, workshops with Artist Peer Facilitators, and opportunities to build a network of peers.
Artists will receive two (2), One-On-One sessions with Artist Peer Facilitators which can be used to troubleshoot technical issues, discuss best practices, strategize next steps, or work through other project-, research-, or process-related challenges. One-On-Ones are opportunities to ask questions, set goals, discuss project specifics, and obtain feedback.
Fellows will attend two (2) Small Group meetings throughout the program year. These meetings will be guided by an Artist Peer Facilitator and will consist of approximately five fellow artists. Fellows will use these meetings as opportunities for continued discussion and deepened peer connections.
Artist Peer Facilitators are artists from across the M-AAA region (Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas) who have been trained as facilitators in one of our professional artist programs, which include: Artist INC, Artist INC Express, Interchange, Artists 360, and Catalyze.