Arkansas Heritage - AIE Mini-Grants

The Arkansas Heritage - AIE Mini-Grants program supports arts education by funding short-term artist residencies in pre K-12 schools and local arts agencies. Artists lead curriculum-based activities or professional development workshops, enhancing existing arts programs. Organizations must provide a 1:1 cash or in-kind match for the grant. However, funding cannot be used for deficits, entertainment expenses, or faculty salaries, ensuring that the grants focus on direct educational impact and community engagement.

Division of Arkansas Heritage
The Division of Arkansas Heritage (DAH) was created by Act 101 in 1975 to preserve and promote Arkansas’s natural and cultural heritage. Originally known as the "Department of Arkansas Natural and Cultural Heritage," the legislation grouped together several culturally oriented divisions under one department. The agency name change to the Division of Arkansas Heritage occurred in 1985. Today, DAH consists of eight divisions and a director’s office which manages general administrative and marketing operations.
Arkansas Arts Council
The Arkansas Arts Council advances and empowers the arts by providing services and funding for programming that encourages and assists literary, performing and visual artists in achieving standards of professional excellence. The Arkansas Arts Council also provides technical and financial assistance to Arkansas arts organizations and other providers of cultural and educational programs. This statewide programming and assistance ultimately provides cultural, educational and economic opportunities for the benefit of all Arkansans.
In 1971, Act 359 (A.C.A. § 13-8-101 et seq.) gave independent agency status to the Arts Council. In 1975, the Arts Council became an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, now the Division of Arkansas Heritage. The Arkansas Arts Council is an agency of Arkansas Heritage and shares its goals of preserving and enhancing the heritage of the state of Arkansas.
Arts In Education Grants
The Arts in Education program initiates new arts programs, or enhances existing ones, in schools and local arts agencies by providing direct interaction with professional artists in residencies for pre K–12 students.
Arts in Education Mini-Grants
The Arts in Education Mini-Grants are short-term residencies of up to 10 days where professional artists from the Arts in Education Roster provide curriculum-based arts activities in a school environment or other location, or provide a teacher's professional development workshop. Artists must be selected from the Arts in Education Roster.
Pre K-12 schools for programs during school hours, and/or organizations that provide after school or summer programs, have an opportunity to apply for Arkansas Arts Council funding to:

• Bring quality, professional artists into the classroom or other location to present one- to ten-day hands on, curriculum based arts activities.
• Present a teachers' professional development workshop in curriculum based arts activities either in conjunction with, or instead of a residency.
• Schools or organizations receiving an AIE mini-grant must provide a 1:1 cash and/ or in-kind match for the requested amount.

Ineligibility

Funding for organizations is not available for:
Deficits or start-up costs for new organizationsContingency fundsContributions and donations to other organizations or individualsBuilding renovations or capital expenditures for facilitiesEntertainment expenses, including busses for field trips, tickets to performances, or refreshmentsTuition for academic study or any form of scholarship or student financial aidFaculty salaries, and additionally, staff salaries in Arts in Education grantsLobbying expensesInterest and other financial costs