Missouri Arts Council
OVERVIEW: The Missouri Arts Council broadly supports writing, music, theater, dance, film, and visual arts projects within the state.
IP TAKE: Artists applying to these grants will have to compete with artists from all other disciplines. Those with a local or regional connection to their work will likely be the most successful. This is a regional funder that is laser-focused on its giving areas and region. It’s also an accessible and approachable funder that grassroots or artists should consider.
PROFILE: Created in 1965, the Missouri Arts Council is a state agency that promotes arts programming throughout the state. It seeks to broaden “the growth, availability, and appreciation of the arts in Missouri” and to foster “the diversity, vitality, and excellence of Missouri’s communities, economy, and cultural heritage.” The council does its arts grantmaking in the form of both annual and express grants.
Grants for Writing, Music, Theater, Dance, Film, Visual Arts and Arts Education
The annual grants support writing, music, theater, dance, film, and visual arts under the Discipline Program Assistance program. Eligible applicants include arts organizations, arts and arts education organizations, chambers of commerce, public libraries, government agencies, youth organizations, public school districts, private K-12 schools, social service organizations, institutions of higher education, and religious organizations. Grant amounts vary each year. Deadlines are typically near the beginning of each year, so grantseekers should prepare their materials well in advance of the project they seek to fund.
Express grants are made on a rolling basis throughout the year. These grants “are designed to encourage small and emerging arts organizations and organizations based in rural communities.”
The Arts Council also supports the Missouri Folk Arts Program, at the University of Missouri in Columbia, which is a Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program that makes grants to Missouri-based nonprofits to conserve and showcase folk arts in local communities.
Important Grant Details:
Applications are due on the first Monday of the month, two months before the project is set to occur. Grantseekers can click here to apply.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS: