31 NWA Artists Receive $300K in Grants From Artists 360 Program

(Artists 360)

Artists 360, a program by the Mid-America Arts Alliance focused on supporting artists in northwest Arkansas, announced it has awarded $300,000 in grants to its seventh cohort.

Thirty-one artists from the region will receive grants under a partnership between the Mid-America Arts Alliance and the Walton Family Foundation. The grantees will be the first Artists 360 cohort to benefit from practice-based funding, which will allow them to apply the grant to their overall creative development, rather than the funding being tied to a specific project, Artists 360 said in a news release.

The program aims to advance the careers of artists of all disciplines in Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Sebastian and Washington counties by providing money, strategic management and mentorship.

Since its inception in 2018, Artists 360 has awarded $1.3 million to seven cohorts of 157 artists in northwest Arkansas and the River Valley. The Walton Family Foundation provided $300,000 in funds for Artists 360 grant awards this year, up from $234,000 in 2023.

This year, John Rankine of Eureka Springs received the Artists 360 Creative Impact Award, which provides one northwest Arkansas-based artist with unrestricted funds of $25,000 and professional development opportunities, including retreats that aim to facilitate network building.

Candidates are selected through both nominations and formal applications.

Rankine was also an Artists 360 project grant recipient in 2018 for his photographic essay, “Men With Earrings.”

The other 30 artists were selected through an application process and include a range of disciplines and perspectives.

Community Activator Grants ($17,500 each)

• Bea Apple (Bentonville)
• Paige Dirksen (Bella Vista)
• Brandon Chase Goldsmith (Fort Smith)
• Paul Siebenthal (Fayetteville)
• Hiba Tahir (Fayetteville)

Practicing Artist Grants ($10,000 each)

• Ana Buitrago (Fayetteville)
• Danqi Cai (Fayetteville)
• John Dyas (Bella Vista)
• Lisa Marie Evans (Fayetteville)
• Shelby Fleming (Fayetteville)
• Vincent Frimpong (Fayetteville)
• Craig Hartenberger (Springdale)
• Dani Ives (Rogers)
• CeCe Marie (Springdale)
• Jacob McCoy (Siloam Springs)
• Elizabeth Muscari (Fayetteville)
• Esther Reina (Bentonville)
• Eddie Rodriguez (Fayetteville)
• Sara Schellenberg (Fayetteville)
• Coco Vasquez (Rogers)

Graduate Student Grants ($5,000 each)

• Mayssa Hashaad (The University of Arkansas)
• Basil Parnell (The University of Arkansas)
• Caite Mae Ramos (The University of Arkansas)
• Shannon P. Smith (The University of Arkansas)
• Carletta Williams (The University of Arkansas)

Undergraduate Student Grants ($2,500 each)

• Autumn Blaylock (The University of Arkansas)
• Alex Dotulong (The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith)
• Ronnie Gunderman (The University of Arkansas)
• Austin Hughes (The University of Arkansas)
• Jonathan Mendez (The University of Arkansas)