Artists 360, First Cohort
By Margaret A. Keough
Artists 360, a new program partnership between the Walton Family Foundation and Mid-America Arts Alliance, gathered its first cohort in FY19 in Northwest Arkansas. Artists 360 is a three-year pilot program supporting individual artists of all disciplines with grant funding and professional development opportunities in the Arkansas counties of Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Sebastian, and Washington. In elevating this network of dynamic artists, Artists 360 brings value to the Northwest Arkansas region overall, creating a place where the arts can thrive.
Through this three-year pilot program, practicing artists are eligible for $7,500 project grants, and $1,500 grants are available for student artists. All grants will include learning opportunities to develop entrepreneurial skills and build sustainable careers, creating a network of leading regional artists.
The first cohort of twenty artists—selected from more than 300 applicants—included those working in the literary arts, performing arts, traditional arts, and visual arts. With a strong applicant pool, a list of finalist were also selected. In awarding grants to both generative artists and students, this program looks to serve a full spectrum of creative practitioners.
