2024 Student Stem Enrichment Program

The Mid-America Arts Alliance's Community Activator Grants program is designed to uplift and invigorate artists in greater Northwest Arkansas. This initiative directly aligns with a mission to foster creative practices and career advancement by providing financial support, skill development, and networking opportunities. The program's core is to support individual artists who demonstrate a commitment to collaboration and community building within the arts, thereby strengthening the regional artistic landscape. The primary beneficiaries of this grant are individual artists residing in specific Arkansas counties: Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Sebastian, and Washington. The program targets artists who have a proven track record of creating opportunities for their peers and actively contributing to a supportive community of artists in Northwest Arkansas. The impact goals are to provide substantial financial support (up to $17,500 per artist), enhance entrepreneurial skills through peer-based learning, and connect artists to a dynamic regional network, ultimately leading to more sustainable creative practices. The program prioritizes artists whose practices are focused on collaboration and who show a demonstrated commitment to building and supporting the arts community. Eligibility requires applicants to be Arkansas residents for at least one year in the specified counties, be 18 years or older, U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and actively practicing artists in any discipline. Importantly, applicants should not be enrolled in a degree-seeking program, have previously received this specific grant, or received substantial funding from other M-AAA programs within the designated fiscal years. Expected outcomes include enhanced artistic excellence, deepened collaborative practices, and improved program readiness among participating artists. The grant aims to result in artists effectively advancing their careers, strategically managing their practices, and actively sharing their work and processes within a peer learning environment. Measurable results will likely stem from the identified impacts of funding on individual careers and practices, and the overall balance of the selected cohort will ensure broad representation of perspectives, disciplines, and experiences. The program's theory of change appears to be that by investing in collaborative, community-minded artists, providing financial and professional development support, and fostering a strong network, the entire Northwest Arkansas arts ecosystem will be energized and sustained.