The Arkansas Arts Council advances and empowers the arts by providing services and funding aimed at encouraging and assisting literary, performing, and visual artists in achieving professional excellence. It also offers technical and financial assistance to arts organizations and cultural and educational program providers across the state. This support helps in fostering cultural, educational, and economic opportunities for the benefit of all Arkansans.
The grant programs from the Arkansas Arts Council focus on encouraging artistic excellence, diversity, innovation, equitable access to the arts, development of arts in education for lifelong learning, and enhancing community cultural and economic development. Specific grant initiatives include the Arts in Education (AIE) grants, which support new or existing arts programs in schools and local arts agencies through residencies with professional artists for pre K-12 students, and the After-School/Summer Residency Program, aimed at placing professional artists in residencies in community centers, low-income housing projects, juvenile facilities, and other community or governmental settings outside of the traditional school environment or school year. These efforts align with their goal to make participation in the arts an integral part of basic education and community engagement.