Arts projects and programs receive Commission grants

The Mississippi Arts Commission Awards Over $1.7 Million in Grants for Arts Projects and Programs in Mississippi

July 8 – The Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) is investing over $1.7 million through grants for the arts in more than 300 organizations, schools, and individual artists throughout the state for the fiscal year 2025.

The grant awards include MAC’s arts integration program, Mississippi Whole Schools, which provides Pre-K-12 educators with intensive professional development for integrating the arts across the curriculum. This year, Mississippi Whole Schools accepted 11 new schools into its Arts in the Classroom program and will continue providing services to 19 existing schools. 

“Over the last fiscal year, our Mississippi Whole Schools team connected with schools in every county of our state,” said David Lewis, executive director for the Mississippi Arts Commission. “The funding we received from the Mississippi Legislature allowed our team to increase outreach into our communities and grow the program. With the hard work of our team and the financial support of our lawmakers, Mississippi Whole Schools is now working in 30 schools across the state.”

MAC’s annual grant funds come from the National Endowment for the Arts  and the Mississippi State Legislature. Awards were made in 92 Mississippi House of Representatives districts and 52 state Senate districts. 

The awards include: 

• General Operating Support for 66 arts organizations. 
• Project support for 71 arts and community-based organizations across Mississippi to foster the continuation of the state’s folk and traditional art forms, support performances and arts programming, and strengthen education in and through the arts.   
• Project support for 18 individual artists to support innovation, propel artists’ careers, and encourage collaboration between artists and communities. 
• Artist Fellowship awards to 43 individual artists across artistic disciplines who demonstrate the ability to create exemplary work in their chosen field. 
• Mini-Grants to 59 individual artists to support their professional development and 21 arts and community-based organizations to support arts programming and institutional strategic development. 

MAC also approved 23 artists and performing groups for inclusion in its Artist Roster and Teaching Artist Roster, which features many of the best artists and arts educators in the state. The Artist Roster is updated annually in the fall on MAC’s website. 

“Mississippi’s statewide investment in the arts through MAC’s grants supports economic opportunities in Mississippi communities,” said Marie Sanderson, board chair for MAC. “Through the generous support from the Mississippi Legislature, MAC is able to continue promoting the rich artistic culture of our state and the role it plays from education to the economy.”

MAC also received funding for the Building Fund for the Arts grant. These dollars are allocated separately, and that announcement will come at a later date.

To see the complete list of grantees, visit  https://arts.ms.gov/grant-recipients/.  

For more information on MAC’s grant programs, Artist Roster, and other services, visit the agency’s website at arts.ms.gov.