Artists 360
Serving artists in Northwest Arkansas
Artists 360 websiteArtists 360 highlights the talented artists of Northwest Arkansas by providing grant funding and professional development opportunities to individual artists of all disciplines in the Arkansas counties of Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Sebastian, and Washington. Over the six years, the program has awarded grants to 138 artists and awarded $1 million to Northwest Arkansas artists since 2018.
Artists 360, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance, is made possible through philanthropic support from Steuart Walton and Tom Walton through the Walton Family Foundation. The Walton Family Foundation provided $230,000 in funds for Mid-America Arts Alliance’s Artists 360 grant awards this year, up from $214,000 in 2022.
Artists 360 Offers the Following Grants and Programs
Student Artist Grants
Six annual grants of $3,000 and professional development support are awarded to individual degree-seeking artists enrolled in Northwest Arkansas higher education institutions. Grantees receive practice-based funding and participate in peer-based learning experiences to develop entrepreneurial skills, while developing a network of leading regional artists.
Practicing Artist Grants
Fourteen annual project grants of $8,000 and professional development support are awarded to Northwest Arkansas artists. Grantees receive financial support for touring, works in progress, creative research and professional advancement, or social practice projects and participate in peer-based learning experiences to develop entrepreneurial skills, while developing a network of leading regional artists.
Community Activator Grants
Five annual grants of $15,000 are awarded to individual artists to support collaborative projects that generate dialogue and community engagement. Projects must also provide opportunities to other artists, helping to create an active community of peer support in the Northwest Arkansas region. Grantees receive financial support for their community-based projects and participate in peer-based learning experiences to develop entrepreneurial skills, while developing a network of leading regional grants.
Creative Impact Award
One annual award of $25,000 is given to an artist recognized both within and outside Northwest Arkansas. The Creative Impact Award celebrates an exceptional artist that contributes to and nurtures the region’s cultural ecosystem. Awardee shares their experiences and activates the Northwest Arkansas artist community through participation in grantee convenings, conversations with the Artists 360 peer network, and at the annual Full Circle Showcase.
In elevating this network of local artists, Artists 360 brings value to the greater Northwest Arkansas region overall, creating a place where artists can thrive.
Pictured: Artists 360 participants at the Fall 2023 convening. Photography by Stephen Ironside.
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Artists 360 Alumni Join Forces for Arkansas Exhibition
Find Out MoreArtists are not just creators; they are entrepreneurs, change makers, and community builders. When they come together to share stories, ask questions, and learn from their peers, they not only create a supportive network of resources and collaborators, they make…
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$1 Million Invested in Northwest Arkansas Artists Since 2018
Find Out MoreM-AAA selects 25 artists for its sixth cohort of Artists 360 grant and professional development program The Walton Family Foundation provided $230,000 in funds for Mid-America Arts Alliance’s Artists 360 grant awards this year, up from $214,000 in 2022. The additional…
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Lakisha Bradley Receives $25,000 Artists 360 Creative Impact Award
Find Out MoreArkansas-based Lakisha Bradley—artist, entrepreneur, leader, mentor, and therapeutic art practitioner—has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the new Creative Impact Award from Artists 360, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA). The Creative Impact Award recognizes an exceptional artist…