An investment in artists living in central Arkansas and the Arkansas Delta

The Catalyze program is designed to ignite the careers of individual artists through money, strategic management, and mentoring.

• Money: Artists receive $10,000 awards to advance their artistic career. These practice-based grants allow the individual artists to select how best to use the funding in support of their self-determined goals for success. Funds may be used for any purpose that supports the continued development of their creative practice, including but not limited to equipment, travel, studio space, child care, professional services, research, supplies, and contingency savings.
• Mentoring: Artists will select from more than fifty experienced M-AAA Peer Artist Facilitators for one-on-one mentoring sessions where they can explore specific practice-related questions and receive support.  Artists will have two 50-minute one-on-one sessions in the year following the Catalyze retreat.
• Strategic Management: Artists participate in professional development programming to develop, refine, and implement strategic plans for their practices. Artists are asked to independently complete approximately two hours of strategic planning exercises prior to the Catalyze Retreat. Utilizing a dynamic small peer group process, artists will engage in learning, application, and receive peer-based support in small groups of five Catalyze Fellows led by an experienced Artist Peer Facilitator. Small group peer support will continue post-retreat with two 90-minute virtual small group sessions held in the following year.

To be eligible to apply for an Catalyze grant, an artist must:

• Be at least 21 years of age by the application due date.
• Be a full-time resident of the State of Arkansas and have established a minimum of one-year residency by the application due date in one or more of the following central Arkansas counties: Arkansas, Chicot, Clay, Cleburne, Conway, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Desha, Drew, Faulkner, Garland, Grant, Greene, Hot Spring, Jefferson, Lee, Lonoke, Mississippi, Monroe, Perry, Phillips, Poinsett, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Saline, St. Francis, Van Buren, White, and Yell.
• Retain residency within the thirty-one county region for the duration of the grant period (May 2025 through May 2026).
• Create work in any artistic discipline, including but not limited to dance, film, literary, music, theatre, and visual art.
• Have a resume that demonstrates at least three years of engagement in a creative practice prior to the application due date. The creative practice is not required to have taken place during consecutive years. If the applicant’s creative practice was affected or suspended due to COVID-19, the application may reference 2020 or 2021 activities that were canceled or reimagined due to the pandemic. Virtual activities are considered creative practice. The applicant may also choose to list creative practice from a year other than 2020 or 2021. For the purposes of defining eligibility, “three years of engagement” refers to when the applicant began their creative practice independent of activities required in pursuit of an academic degree or other certification.
• Commit to participating in peer-to-peer strategic planning activities during the grant year, including the Catalyze Retreat at the Marriott Hotel in Little Rock, AR, from 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 21, 2025 through 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 22, 2025 (meals and private lodging provided).
• Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or have non-resident status and provide a valid Social Security Number if selected for funding.
• Be in good standing with Mid-America Arts Alliance, with no delinquent reports and/or grant documents.
• Not have received a grant of $1,000 or more through any other M-AAA granting program during its 2025 Fiscal Year (July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025).
• May not have previously received a Catalyze grant.
• May not be a currently enrolled student in an undergraduate or graduate program.
• May not be a full-time employee of Mid-America Arts Alliance or an immediate family member of a full-time employee of Mid-America Arts Alliance.

• Completed online application form
• Artist Biography (100 words max)
• Artist Statement (250 words max)
• Artist Resume/CV (maximum 3 pages)
• Narrative responses to the following questions:
  • Creative Practice Evolution: In your own words, explain the evolution of your creative practice over the previous few years. What work have you been pursuing? How has the work evolved? Why has it evolved in that way? Have you faced challenges or constraints in making work? (250-word maximum)
  • Future of Your Creative Practice: Where do you want your creative practice to be in five years? How do you determine and measure success within your practice? (250-word maximum)
  • Fund Use: If awarded a Catalyze Artist Grant, how do you intend to use the funds to further your artistic practice? (250-word maximum)
  • Professional Development: Considering the criteria for this grant, explain how participating in the Catalyze Retreat, learning alongside a dedicated, small group of your peers, accessing one-on-one mentoring sessions with Artist Peer Facilitators, and building a network of regional artists, will be beneficial to the development of your creative practice. What strengths will you bring to share with your peers? (250-word maximum)
• Up to five artwork samples (images, audio files, video files, literary files, or URLs to audio, video, and/or literary files) (1MB maximum per file)
• Work Sample Summary (maximum 1000 words)
• Proof of residence: Arkansas driver’s license, bill from a bank, mortgage company, utility company, credit card company, doctor or hospital, bank statement, property tax bill, current valid homeowner’s or renter’s policy, or motor vehicle insurance card or policy, current valid Arkansas motor vehicle registration, 2023 tax filing (IRS or State of Arkansas) with sensitive information removed.

Apply Now at https://maaa.tfaforms.net/5112331

Review of application materials will focus on:

• I recommend that this application advances in the selection process.
• I am unsure, but am inclined to recommend that this application advances in the selection process.
• I am unsure, but am inclined to recommend that this application does not advance in the selection process.
• I do not recommend that this application advances in the selection process.

• Applications:
  • December 9, 2024, 9:00 a.m. (CST): Online Applications open
  • February 18, 2025, 5:00 p.m. (CST): Online Applications close
  • December 10 – December 19, 2024 and January 6 – February 18, 2025: Application Support from M-AAA staff
• Application Reviews:
  • February 19-28, 2025: M-AAA staff reviews applications for eligibility
  • March 2025: Discipline-Specific Advisory Panel Reviews
• Notifications:
  • Mid-April, 2025: Applicant notification
  • July 2025: Applicant feedback provided, available upon request
• Grantee Important Dates:
  • April 2025: Selected Artists complete grant agreements and financial forms
  • May 2025: Selected Artists complete pre-retreat work
  • June 2025: Public Announcements made by M-AAA
  • June 21, 2025: Funding distributed, in one payment (at retreat)
  • June 21-22, 2025: Catalyze Retreat
  • September–November 2025: Small Group Session #1 & One-On-One Session #1
  • January–March 2026: Small Group Session #2 & One-On-One Session #2
  • May 1, 2026: Final Reports due

Grant recipients must comply with the Federal policies and legal requirements, statutes, and regulations as stated in M-AAA’s Assurance of Compliance.

Grant awards are considered income. Grant recipients are responsible for all tax obligations under federal, state, and local laws. M-AAA recommends that all recipients consult a tax accountant or local Internal Revenue Service office with questions or concerns regarding deductions and reporting.

Upon the completion of the grant cycle, all grantees will be asked to submit a final survey report. This survey report will include the following:

• How did you use your grant funds? What impact did this funding have on your creative practice and career trajectory?
• What impact did the professional development experiences you participated in as a Catalyze Fellow have on your overall creative practices and career trajectory?
• Optional: documentation to demonstrate creative practice and career progress

• Kai Coggin: Kai is the Inaugural Poet Laureate of the City of Hot Springs, and author of five collections, most recently Mother of Other Kingdoms (Harbor Editions 2024). She is a Certified Master Naturalist, a K-12 Teaching Artist with the Arkansas Arts Council, and host of the longest running consecutive weekly open mic series in the country—Wednesday Night Poetry. Recently awarded the Don Munro Leadership in the Arts Award, a Mid-America Arts Alliance Catalyze grant, a 2021 Governor’s Arts Award, and twice named “Best Poet in Arkansas” by the Arkansas Times. Kai lives with her wife in a peaceful valley, where they tend to wild ones and each other. Learn more about her at www.kaicoggin.com.
• Ben Grimes is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas. He received a BFA in regional theatre from The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University and a masters degree in public service. He has appeared in stage productions and films across the country. Ben is passionate about developing new voices and work in theatre and was a founding member of Moment to Moment Productions in Little Rock, Arkansas, and also served as the co-artistic director of Drove Theater Company in New York City. After more than a decade of working professionally on stage and feeling disconnected and lost, Ben joined the US Army in 2006. As an Airborne Ranger in the 82nd Airborne Division, he deployed to Baghdad, Iraq. In 2017, he again deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. After his last deployment, Ben began to reintegrate back into theatre to heal from the stress of combat. He found a deeper connection to the material and that working in an ensemble environment helped to elevate his feelings of isolation and depression. These discoveries led Ben to enroll in the Clinton School of Public Service, where he received his master’s in public service. Ben’s research and studies in theatre practiced as a public service inspired him to launch Riverside Actors Theatre, a theatre company that uses the vehicle of theatre and storytelling to address trauma and the struggles that veterans and other at-risk populations commonly face.
• Candy Humphrey: Music has never sounded so SWEET as the sultry Soulful sounds of CandySoul. Not only is she a vocalist with perfect pitch, but she also excels as a comedic actress, songwriter, and music producer. CandySoul has been making a name for herself in the realm of entertainment for over 15 years. CandySoul achieved HOLLYWOOD success on American Idol, won first place on Showtime at the Apollo, and also won ABC’s Match Game with celebrity host Alec Baldwin in which they featured her all-natural, homemade-handcrafted skin moisturizer: Candy Butta on national television. Remember the name, CandySoul: “Ear Candy for your Soul!”
• CC Mercer Watson is a magnetic gem from The Natural State. She has a kaleidoscope of talent that includes being a textile artist, actor, activist, poet, playwright, published author, found(her) of A BLACK SPACE, lead designer of Mercer Textile Mercantile . . . those passions being a conduit for uplifting voices of color and making marginalized populations visible. She holds a BA in theatre arts and dance from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and is a graduate of the Clinton School of Public Service. In every thread of her being, she is weaving a tapestry of her ancestors, draped in Afro-futurism.
• Jennifer Perren is an artist in Little Rock, Arkansas, recognized for her playful pottery, figurative sculpture, and visionary creative projects. She earned her BFA in printmaking from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock as a Donaghey Scholar. Her time as an artist-in-residence at Hot Springs National Park was followed by further training at Penland School of Craft. In 2023, she was awarded the Mid-America Arts Alliance Catalyze grant, which enabled her to embark on a creative retreat along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. She currently teaches clay classes at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts’ Windgate Art School. Her work is available at South Main Creative, or visit www.jenniferperren.com.

• Kyle Mullins: Kyle is an arts administrator, performance producer, and dance artist living in Tacoma, Washington. Kyle is an artist services program officer at Mid-America Arts Alliance. While in Kansas City, he served as director of the monthly dance series Making Moves and art director for the public art exhibition Art in the Loop. As a dance artist he performs his own dance works as a soloist, creates works of dance-theater with his company Cerca Trova, and makes dance films. His work has been commissioned by dance companies, galleries, botanical gardens, university programs, professional theater stages in both New York City and Kansas City, and more. Kyle holds a MFA in dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
• Jade Osborne: Jade is an arts administrator and an innovative creative person who is passionate about the arts and community. She is an multidisciplinary artist and experiential curator. She explores the space in between the self, the other, and the living art that is created when we are together. Jade has performed and presented on stages in fourteen countries interlacing social practice/community outreach with each of her appearances. She is an award winner and grantee of ArtsKC, KC & Chicago Fringe Festivals, Afest, Missouri Arts Council, COMBAT among others. She served as artist advisor for the new airport in Kansas City and is currently serving as performing arts director for Art in the Loop public arts project.
• David Wayne Reed: David is a writer, director, and producer whose work can be found on page, on stage, and on screen.  Works include: Shelf Life, land and flower, Eternal Harvest, Goliath, Help Yourself, and Jolly Rancher. He has been awarded grants from Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Charlotte Street Foundation, Spencer Museum of Art, Puffin Foundation, ArtsKC, and was named one of ’25 Reasons Why We Love KC Now’ by Pitch. Reed served as chair of the Municipal Art Commission of Kansas City, Missouri.
• Diane Scott: Diane Scott is an arts administrator, educator, and writer specializing in the development of resources and programming to support artists in the management of enduring artistic practices. Diane was the founding director and principal designer for the Artist INC professional development program. Artist INC programs have been completed by more than 2,500 artists across eight states. Her text book Artist Entrepreneurship for Life: Making Art Work for You was released by Routledge in 2025. 

The application is now closed.

• Click here to download our application guide.
• Office Hours: December 10, 2024–February 18, 2025 (Office Hours are closed Monday, December 23, 2024– Friday, January 3, 2025). You may schedule a zoom meeting during our office hours through Calendly. 
• Applicants have the option to complete their applications verbally with M-AAA staff. We recommend that all information be prepared in advance of verbal application meetings. Requests for assistance must be received by Friday, February 7, 2025. 

You may download and utilize any or all of these instructional documents below. Have more questions or need assistance? Email us: artistservices@maaa.org.

• How to Write an Artist Bio
• How to Write an Artist’s Statement
• How to Write an Artist Resume/CV
• Work Sample Summary Examples
• How to Prepare for the Catalyze Grant Application

Learn more about the Catalyze grant and the application process by watching the “How to Apply Yourself” online application workshop. This workshop was recorded on January 16, 2025.

We strongly encourage applicants to access the online application through the Google Chrome browser.

Make sure cookies are enabled.

• On your computer, open Chrome.
• At the top right, click More. Settings.
• Under “Privacy and Security,” click Site Settings.
• Click Third Party Cookies.
• From here, you can: Turn on cookies: Next to “Blocked,” turn on the switch.

Compose the answers to your narrative questions in a word processing document (i.e.,Microsoft word or Google Docs) and then copy and paste answers into the online application form when you are fully satisfied with your responses.

Verify that all files you will be uploading to the online application form (proof of residency, resume/CV, images, literary samples) are less than 1MB in size.

Verify that all files you will be uploading to the online application form are labeled without spaces or any special characters (i.e. FirstnameLastnameSample1.png).

Carefully verify that you have typed your email address into the online application form correctly. Your email address is how you access your saved application.

As you are working in the online application, save frequently.

Work well in advance of the Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 5:00 p.m. CST deadline. If you’re going to have a technical problem, it always happens when the clock is ticking.

If you have questions about the Catalyze Program, please contact: artistservices@maaa.org.

WHEN ARE NEW APPLICATIONS ANNOUNCED?

• The third-year Catalyze applications open on December 9, 2024 and close February 18, 2025. 
• Catalyze is a year-long program with grant applications opening annually in the late fall. For deadline reminders, sign up for our enews.

WHAT DOES THE GRANT PROGRAM INCLUDE?

• $10,000 Practice-based grant, professional development retreat in Little Rock, AR, One-on-One Mentoring sessions with Artist Peer Facilitators, and Small Group meetings during the granting period.

WHO CAN APPLY?

• Be at least 21 years of age by the application due date.
• Full time residents (minimum one year) of Arkansas counties of: Arkansas, Chicot, Clay, Cleburne, Conway, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Desha, Drew, Faulkner, Garland, Grant, Greene, Hot Spring, Jefferson, Lee, Lonoke, Mississippi, Monroe, Perry, Phillips, Poinsett, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Saline, St. Francis, Van Buren, White, and Yell.
• Artists who retain residency within the thirty-one county region for the duration of the grant period (May 2025 through May 2026).
• Artists who create work in any artistic discipline with at least a three year art practice outside of university. 
• Artists who can commit to attending the Catalyze Retreat in Little Rock, AR from June 21-22, 2025.
• Artists that are in good standing with Mid-America Arts Alliance and have not received another grant from M-AAA for more than $1000 in the same grant year.
• Artists that have not previously received a Catalyze grant and who are not a full-time employee of Mid-America Arts Alliance or an immediate family member of a full-time employee of Mid-America Arts Alliance.

HOW MANY GRANTS WILL BE AWARDED?

• Each Catalyze cohort will consist of 25 artists per grant cycle.
  

WHY ARE COHORTS GEOGRAPHICALLY SPECIFIC? 

• Catalyze is made possible through the support of the Windgate Foundation, a private, family foundation based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Windgate’s goal is to advance contemporary craft and strengthen visual arts education in the United States. More information can be found at: https://www.windgatefoundation.org/. 

HOW COMPETITIVE IS THE PROGRAM? 

• This program is highly competitive as we only have 25 grants available for all artist applicants within 31 counties of Arkansas.

WHAT ARE YOUR SELECTION CRITERIA?

• Artistry: Selected artists will demonstrate artistic excellence, broadly defined by the practitioners and norms in their discipline, and show a deep commitment to their work. Selected artists will have an active creative practice for a minimum of three years and show motivation to continue and further evolve.  

• Program Readiness: Selected artists will have the desire to advance their career and deepen their practice, engage in an active strategic management process surrounding their practice, as well as an interest in sharing their work and process as part of a network of artists in a peer learning environment.

• Impact of Funding on Practice: Selected artists will clearly identify the ways in which Catalyze funds will impact their careers and creative practices. These identified impacts should relate to previous challenges and/or desired futures.

HOW ARE THE GRANTEES SELECTED? 

Catalzye grantees will be selected through a two-step process. First, applications are reviewed by a panel of artists and arts professionals who will recommend which applications move on to step two. Next, recommended applications are placed into a blind lottery from which a balanced cohort of artists is selected.

HOW ARE PANELISTS SELECTED?

• HOW ARE PANELISTS SELECTED?

• Visual
• Literary
• Film
• Music
• Performing Arts (Theatre and Dance)
• Interdisciplinary

WHEN WILL I BE NOTIFIED?

• Mid-April, 2025: Applicant notification
• July 2025: Applicant feedback provided, available upon request

I’VE BEEN ACCEPTED INTO A COHORT. NOW WHAT?

• Congratulations! Make sure you mark your calendar for the Catalyze Retreat in Little Rock, AR, June 21-22, 2025. The Artist Services team at M-AAA will be in touch to guide grantees through all steps of the Catalyze Grant program. 

HOW CAN I USE THE GRANT FUNDS?

• Artists may use the grant support for any purpose which supports the continued development of their creative practice. This includes, but is not limited to equipment; travel for research, development, and performance; residencies; child care; studio space; creative projects; training; professional services; and living expenses to allow for creative work time.

WHO WILL I BE WORKING WITH?

• Artist Peer Facilitators, your fellow grantees, and the M-AAA Artist Services staff.

WHO ARE ARTIST PEER FACILITATORS?

• 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.
  

DO I HAVE TO ATTEND THE CATALYZE RETREAT?

• Yes, all selected grantees must attend the Catalyze Retreat in Little Rock, AR from June 21-22, 2025.
  

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE CATALYZE RETREAT?

The retreat weekend allows time for all current grantees to gather as a cohort to share working and community space centered around developing practices and creative careers. Throughout the weekend, artists will work in both large and small groups, share meals, learn alongside Artist Peer Facilitators, while building networks and community. Private lodging and meals for each grantee will be provided. The Catalyze Retreat is a two-day professional development workshop that serves four primary purposes:

• To give you dedicated time and the processes to consider and plan for your Catalyze grant funds.
• That you may meet your fellows and develop a community.
• For you to feel validated, well cared for, and that you and your practices are valued.
• That you will gain the understanding of how the Catalyze grant works, the support it provides, and what you are required to do during your grant period.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT IN A ONE-ON-ONE SESSION?

• One-On-Ones are opportunities to ask questions, set goals, discuss project specifics, and obtain feedback. Grantees will select from a list of Artist Peer Facilitators from across the Mid-America region who facilitate programs across all Artist Services programs. One-On-One sessions are scheduled cooperatively by grantees and Artist Peer Facilitators for meetings outside the retreat weekend. These sessions typically take place virtually or over the phone. 

2024 Cohort

View full biographies here. Selected artists include a wide range of disciplines and perspectives:

Joshua Asante (Multidisciplinary Artist) 

Shunn Berry (Film and Performing Arts, Theatre) 

Ebony Blevins (Fine Art Photojournalist) 

Doug Burnett (Americana Singer/Songwriter)

Tawanna Campbell (Singer, Voice Teacher and Stage Actor)

Jimmy Cunningham (Voiceover Artist and a Curator of Community Art)

Andy Denton (Sculptor and Potter)

Christopher Fulmer (Musician, Vocalist, Songwriter and Actor)

x freelon (Blues Aesthetic Artist and Multimedia Storyteller)

Jasmine Harris (Poet and Essayist)

Faye Hedera (Portrait Artist and Composer)

Tig Kashala (Interdisciplinary Afro-cultural Costume Artist)

Korto Momolu-Briggs (Fashion designer and 3D Art Creative)

Glenda McCune (Teaching Artist and Visual Artists)

Bethannie Newson-Steelman (Muralist, Painter, Puppeteer, Installation Artist, Exhibition Curator, Graphic Designer, Performer)

Simeon Norfleet Jr. (Documentary Photographer & Filmmaker)

Kimberly O’Bannon (Swamp Rock Singer-Songwriter, Musician, Videographer, and Content Creator)

Y. Hope Osborn (Creative Non-fiction Author, Editor, Ecological Architectural Photographer, Researcher, Web Designer, Digital and Mixed-media Artist)

Kourtlynn Pinkins (Visual Arts, Filmmaking, Acting, Theatre, Technical Theatre & Rug Making)

Cliff Prowse (Music Arranger and Producer)

Susan Erwin Prowse (Singing Piano Entertainer)

Steve Spencer (Painter and Three Dimensional Painter / Sculptor)

Te’Arra Stewart (Multidisciplinary Visual Artist, Entrepreneur, and Teacher)

CC Mercer Watson  (Alchemizer of Cloth, Culture, and Storytelling)

Jason Weinheimer (Music Producer, Songwriter, and Musician)

2023 Cohort

View full biographies here. 2023 Selected artists include a wide range of disciplines and perspectives:

Antonio (Bruce) Carpenter (Painter / Craftsman)

M Shelly Conner (Writer / Filmmaker)

Kai Coggin (Poet / Author / Space Holder)

Mitchell Crisp (Interdisciplinary Artist)

Princeton Coleman (Yuni Wa) (Music Producer & DJ)

Virmarie DePoyster (Multidisciplinary Artist)

Aaron Farris (Bluegrass Musician)

Jennifer Gerber (Filmmaker)

Ben Grimes (Theatre Artist)

Ryan Howard (Filmmaker / Photographer / Musician)

Cheryl Humphrey (Singer / Songwriter / Performing Arts Coach)

Chris Long (Music Producer)

Dazzmin Murry (Multi-Hyphenate Artist / Performing Artist / Composer / Multimedia Artist)

Denise Parkinson (Author & Filmmaker)

Yelena Petroukhina (Visual Artist)

Tiffany Pettus (Multimedia Specialist)

Jennifer Perren (Ceramic Artist)

Andy Sarjahani (Documentary Filmmaker)

Derek Slagle (Photographer)

Katherine Strause (Painter)

Jonathan Wright (Printmaker)

Anna Wagner (Ceramic Artist)

Mark Wittig (Photographer)

Veronica Wirges (Music Artist)

Katie Wilson (Visual & Performing Artist)