The Arkansas Arts Council advances and empowers the arts by providing services and funding aimed at encouraging and assisting literary, performing, and visual artists in achieving professional excellence. It also offers technical and financial assistance to arts organizations and cultural and educational program providers across the state. This support helps in fostering cultural, educational, and economic opportunities for the benefit of all Arkansans.
The Arkansas Heritage Grant Program aims to elevate the awareness and appreciation of Arkansas's heritage by enhancing the capacity of community-based and non-profit groups to develop programs related to the state's heritage. The program supports efforts to introduce heritage-related programs in areas where such initiatives might not otherwise exist, encourages collaboration among organizations, businesses, and government to expand the reach or scale of heritage events, and seeks to establish sustainable elements for heritage celebrations, such as educational curriculums, exhibits, festivals, photographic essays, or roadside exhibits. Evaluation criteria focus on the applicant's connection to their community, the project's local or statewide impact, the sustainability of the program's outcomes, the level of collaboration demonstrated, and the potential for fostering heritage tourism.