State, Regional & National Resources for Arkansas Creatives
Empowerment through transparency—sharing what you need to grow.
🏛️ State Resources (Arkansas)🎭 Arkansas Arts Council
The central hub for arts funding, training, and community-building across Arkansas.
Key Programs:
🧩 CACHE Creative Exchange Fund (CXF)Hosted by The Medium, this fund provides artists with both financial support and access to creative spaces in Springdale.
Program Tracks:
🧭 Regional Resources (Multi-State Including Arkansas)🏛️ Mid-America Arts Alliance (M‑AAA)Arkansas’s regional partner, offering grants and capacity-building across six states.
Key Programs:
👩🎓 Artist INC (M‑AAA)A breakout career-development program with multiple options.
🌐 National Resources (U.S.-Wide)🏛️ National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)The federal arts funding agency supports both organizations and indirectly artists via partnerships. This space is new to me, as we haven't had anything open up that applied to our project specifically.
💡 Creative Capital Funds pioneering artists with substantial project support.
🎶 New Music USA Supports composers and performers creating innovative music and media work.
📚 Why These Matter - Together, these resources:
📝 How to Use This Guide
🏛️ State Resources (Arkansas)🎭 Arkansas Arts Council
The central hub for arts funding, training, and community-building across Arkansas.
Key Programs:
- Arts Across Arkansas: Composition and performance contest for teens, offering mentorship and cash awards.
- Get SmART! Learning Series: Free workshops on topics like grant writing, branding, budgeting, and event marketing.
- Individual Artist Fellowships: Competitive grants for artists across disciplines including music.
- Mini & Project Grants: Support for short-term or time-sensitive artist-led initiatives - an organization can apply for this to help pay you..
- Public Art & Community Projects: Funding for collaborative or place-based projects - an organization can apply for this to help pay you.
- Arts in Education Roosters: Supports artist residencies and programs in schools, join this so state funding can help pay you to do this great work.
- Arts on Tour Roosters: Get on this so that qualifying organizations can get the grant version of a rebate on your booking fee.
🧩 CACHE Creative Exchange Fund (CXF)Hosted by The Medium, this fund provides artists with both financial support and access to creative spaces in Springdale.
Program Tracks:
- Producers: 10 awards @ $2.5K + space rental support.
- Mixtape Music Series: 10 awards @ $1.5K + venue for all-ages showcase.
🧭 Regional Resources (Multi-State Including Arkansas)🏛️ Mid-America Arts Alliance (M‑AAA)Arkansas’s regional partner, offering grants and capacity-building across six states.
Key Programs:
- Catalyze / Artist 360: 10k for your Art Practice - not project based.
- Artistic Innovations: Grants for ambitious, interdisciplinary projects.
- Interchange: Social Engagement Creative Practice.
- Jazz Road Tours: Up to $15K per tour for jazz touring support.
- Regional Touring Program: Supports performance travel across state lines - ties in with Arts on Tour.
- Artist Leadership Fellows: Training for emerging artist leaders.
👩🎓 Artist INC (M‑AAA)A breakout career-development program with multiple options.
- Artist INC Live: An 8-week cohort where artists meet weekly to build business skills, from marketing to finance.
- Artist INC Express: A free, intensive weekend workshop version of the program.
- What Works: Introductory workshop on sustainable career practices.
🌐 National Resources (U.S.-Wide)🏛️ National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)The federal arts funding agency supports both organizations and indirectly artists via partnerships. This space is new to me, as we haven't had anything open up that applied to our project specifically.
💡 Creative Capital Funds pioneering artists with substantial project support.
- Creative Capital Award: $50K in grants + $50K in advisory services.
- State of the Art Prize: $50K awardees from each state.
- Offers mentorship and professional development tools to all applicants.
🎶 New Music USA Supports composers and performers creating innovative music and media work.
- Project Grants: For commissioned work and creative projects.
- Film Scoring Programs (like Reel Change): Support for media-related music.
- Organizational Grants: For ensembles, festivals, and presenters focused on new music.
📚 Why These Matter - Together, these resources:
- Provide both financial and logistical support across genres.
- Offer training and mentorship for sustainable career growth.
- Encourage creative equity and collaboration across Arkansas and the region.
- Reinforce a networked ecosystem, not just individual opportunities.
📝 How to Use This Guide
- Identify one program in each category—state, regional, national—that fits your current goals.
- Bookmark, follow, and subscribe to updates.
- Attend info sessions, workshops, or webinars to stay informed.
- Apply—and don't get discouraged! Get feedback instead.
