Artists 360 Celebrates Alumni During the Full Circle Showcase in Northwest Arkansas
By Elizabeth Snell
Program Concludes with a Legacy of $1.3M Investment in 157 Artists that Continues to Shape the Region
After seven transformative years and an investment of $2.4 million in program support, including $1.3 million in direct artist awards, Artists 360, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance, will conclude with its final Artists 360 Full Circle Showcase celebration on April 27, 2025.
Since its launch in 2018, Artists 360 has been a catalyst for artistic growth in Northwest Arkansas, awarding 169 grants across five categories to 157 artists, all made possible through the visionary generosity of Tom and Steuart Walton and the Walton Family Foundation. More than a grant program, Artists 360 has provided not only direct funding but also strategic support, mentorship, and professional development, empowering artists and strengthening the region’s creative landscape. In addition, it has fostered an enduring network of artists, creating connections that continue to inspire collaboration and growth.
To celebrate the program’s impact, Mid-America Arts Alliance invites the public to the annual Artists 360 Full Circle Showcase on Sunday, April 27, at 1:00 p.m. at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville.
Modeling performs at the Artists 360 Full Circle Showcase in 2024 with Connor Brogan, 2021 Artists 360 grant recipient. Photography by Stephen Ironside of Iron Lotus Creative
The program will feature an energetic lineup of program alumni including exciting performers such as Nicole Vasquez (aka Pura Coco), Candy Lee, Heidee Lyn Alsdorf, and Jake Hertzog.
“Artists 360 has been a beacon of support for artists, ensuring they have the resources, guidance, and encouragement to thrive,” says Todd Stein, President and CEO of Mid-America Arts Alliance.
By elevating local artists, Artists 360 has enriched Northwest Arkansas and fostered an environment where creativity flourishes. As the program concludes, its legacy will continue through the careers it has propelled forward and the vibrant artistic community it has strengthened.
“While the program is sunsetting, the impact continues to grow year after year because the artist collaborations continue to grow,” says Diane Scott, director of M-AAA’s artist services. “Artists 360 created an enduring network of artists that will continue to inspire and elevate the arts community. It’s been incredible seeing these artists’ achievements and an honor witnessing their work resonate throughout the country.”
The seventh and final cohort of grantees marked a significant evolution in the program, as they were the first to receive practice-based funding, allowing for broader creative development rather than being limited to specific project proposals. Additionally, Artists 360 expanded its grant amounts and introduced separate undergraduate and graduate grant categories to better serve emerging artists.
Brody Parrish Craig, Artists 360 practicing artist alumnus, community activator, and facilitator, says “Artists 360 provided concrete skills and key community networks for me to grow as an artist and TLGBQ spacemaker in Arkansas and beyond. I’m grateful for the investments of time, money, and space that Mid-America Arts Alliance has given me over the years through this program and hope new opportunities present themselves for the next generation of artists and thinkers in NWA. Artists 360 has shown me that when we invest in one artist, we invest in many people, projects and ideas, both seen and unseen. The ripple effect of Artists 360 cannot be measured in dollars or documents.”
- Past Grant Recipients: For biographies and information about Mid-America Arts Alliance’s Artists 360 past grant recipients, visit artists360.art.
- Video: To learn more about the impact of Artists 360, watch interviews with program alumni on YouTube.
Artists 360 was made possible through the philanthropy of Steuart Walton and Tom Walton via the Walton Family Foundation, whose dedication to the arts has helped shape the thriving arts community of Northwest Arkansas.
About Walton Family Foundation
The Walton Family Foundation is at its core, a family-led foundation. Three generations of the descendants of our founders, Sam and Helen Walton, and their spouses, work together to lead the foundation and create access to opportunity for people and communities. We work in three areas: improving education, protecting rivers and oceans and the communities they support, and investing in our home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta. To learn more, visit waltonfamilyfoundation.org.
About Artists 360
Artists 360 ignites the careers of artists of all disciplines in Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Sebastian, and Washington counties by providing money, strategic management, and mentoring. By elevating local artists, Artists 360 has brought value to the greater Northwest Arkansas region overall, creating a place where creativity and the arts can thrive. Learn more at artists360.art.
Header photography: Artists 360 final cohort of 2024 grant recipients at their fall retreat. Photography by Stephen Ironside of Iron Lotus Creative