Arts in Education In-School Residency

The Arts in Education In-School Residency Program is administered by the Arkansas Arts Council, a division dedicated to fostering the arts throughout the state of Arkansas. As part of its broader Arts in Education initiative, this specific program places professional artists in K–12 educational settings during the school day or school year. These residencies are hosted at school sites or in collaboration with nonprofit community or governmental organizations. The goal is to deepen the integration of the arts into educational curricula, encourage aesthetic development among students, and promote direct engagement with the creative process. Professional artists are selected exclusively from the Arkansas Arts Council’s Arts in Education Roster, ensuring consistent quality and alignment with the program’s objectives. Through this initiative, students witness live art-making and connect the arts to other academic subjects. The residencies are flexible in length, ranging from 10 days to a full school year, allowing schools and communities to tailor the programming to their specific needs. Veteran's Projects are the only exception to the roster requirement. The program’s funding model supports grants of up to $40,000. It includes a matching requirement of 1:1, with the option for half of the match to be in-kind contributions. Organizations may not apply for more than two Arts in Education Major grants in a given cycle. While faculty and staff salaries are not eligible expenses under this program, allowable costs focus on directly supporting residency activities and artist compensation. Applications must be submitted online through the Arkansas Arts Council’s Grants Portal. The application deadline for the current cycle is February 2, 2026. Late applications are not accepted unless the applicant can demonstrate extraordinary circumstances beyond their control. The online application must be complete and follow the prescribed format, including submission of a budget using the Council’s downloadable Excel spreadsheet. Budget figures must balance exactly between total income and total expenses. Applications are reviewed via a structured panel process. Reviewers include Arkansas Arts Council members and field experts from across the arts community. Each panelist signs a conflict-of-interest form and recuses themselves from discussions where a conflict may exist. Panel meetings are conducted via webinar, and applicants may listen in to hear real-time feedback, though direct responses are limited to specific queries. Panelists score applications based on standardized evaluation criteria, with recommendations forwarded to the Council for final funding decisions. Following the panel review, funding recommendations are approved by the Arkansas Arts Council during its May meeting and reviewed by the state legislature in July. Grant payments are usually issued in installments aligned with grantee program needs. The grant performance period aligns with the Arkansas state fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). Recipients must have a Section 504 Self-Evaluation on file to certify accessibility compliance. For guidance, applicants are encouraged to contact Matt Boyce, Arts in Education Program Manager, at 501-324-9769.

Ensure budget totals match; Only AIE Roster artists allowed; 1:1 match required, 50% may be in-kind; faculty/staff salaries are ineligible.