Arts Council Secures National Grant to Support Arts Incubator Program

The National Endowment for the Arts announced the first round of recommended awards for the fiscal year 2023 recently, with more than $34 million in funding to support the arts nationwide.

This is the first of the NEA’s two major grant announcements each fiscal year and includes grants to organizations through the NEA’s Grants for Arts Projects, Challenge America, and Research Awards categories.

This announcement also includes grants to individuals for Literature Fellowships in creative writing (poetry) and translation.

Locally the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council received a $25,000 grant to support the Arts Incubator program.

The program provides free workshops, grants, and mentorship for creative-based businesses. “Chefs, painters and sculptors are both artists and small business owners,” said Wayne Andrews, Director of the Arts Council. “Assisting these individuals, who have spent thousands of hours to master a skill to gain the insights, connections and support to expand their business, builds our community. Creative businesses enrich the community by having a wide range of small businesses with diverse skills present that increase access to cultural experiences.”

The Arts Incubator through partnerships with the Oxford-Lafayette Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Foundation, and Small Business Development Corporation has provided services to 100 small businesses annually. This includes the CSA program which provides grants to help small businesses take the next big step.

This project is among 1,130 projects across the country, totaling more than $31 million, that were selected during this second round of Grants for Arts Projects fiscal year 2023 funding.

“The National Endowment for the Arts is pleased to support a wide range of projects, including the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council Arts Incubator demonstrating the many ways the arts enrich our lives and contribute to healthy and thriving communities,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, Ph.D. “These organizations play an important role in advancing the creative vitality of our nation and helping to ensure that all people can benefit from arts, culture, and design.”

Staff report