MAC Project Grants

The MAC Project Grants support arts initiatives across Mississippi, empowering community-based groups to enhance cultural engagement. Funding is available for four key areas: Arts Based Community Development, Arts Education, Arts Industry, and Folk & Traditional Arts. These grants aim to foster community growth, improve educational opportunities, stabilize the arts sector, and promote traditional art forms, ensuring a vibrant cultural landscape in Mississippi.

Much of the work done to expand arts activities across Mississippi is accomplished through projects taken on by arts and community-based groups. MAC supports these efforts through its Project Grant program, which funds a wide range of arts projects that support the main goals of the agency.
MAC awards Project Grants in each of its four program areas:

• Arts Based Community DevelopmentArts EducationArts IndustryFolk & Traditional Arts

Following are brief descriptions of each program, including examples of the types of projects that can be funded. If you are still unsure about which program you should apply under, contact MAC before submitting an application.
Arts Based Community Development
Program Goal: Support the Development of Mississippi Communities through the Arts.
Arts Based Community Development looks to improve the social, economic and cultural conditions of Mississippi communities through meaningful, quality arts programming. Whether it is after-school programming targeting at-risk youth, public art refurbishing a blighted downtown area, or a music festival bringing together a diverse audience from the community, successful Arts Based Community Development programming utilizes community-driven planning and the power of the arts to create stronger communities.
Arts Education
Program Goal: Strengthen Education in and through the Arts.
Arts Education works to enable students Pre-K through 12th grade to receive a quality education that includes the arts. The program does this by fostering professional development for educators, enabling them to teach the arts more effectively and use the arts as learning tools in teaching non-arts curriculum.
Arts Industry
Program Goal: Improve the Capacity and Stability of Mississippi’s Arts Industry.
Arts Industry organizations seek to enrich the lives of their audience through entertainment and through learning about themselves and others by expanding the role the arts plays in the broader social arenas of Mississippi communities. They involve the general public with their services and programs. They reach diverse communities to identify shared values, foster excellence in the arts and provide inspiration to generate a higher quality of life for all citizens by providing inclusive and diverse artistic experiences.
Folk & Traditional Arts
Program Goal: To Increase Awareness of Mississippi’s Traditional Arts and Culture.
Folk & Traditional Arts works to increase the awareness of and foster the continuation of the state’s folk and traditional art forms. This is done through the Project Grant Program by encouraging and supporting projects that document or promote Mississippi traditional arts.

Eligibility

Organizations who apply for a Project Grant must:Be based in MississippiHave IRS 501(c)3 non-profit status ORBe a unit of local government, such as a school, library, or another county or municipal agency. These entities may be required to provide documentation of their status as a governmental agencyEligible organizations are limited to applying for either a MAC Project or Operating Grant each year. First-time applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with MAC Program Staff about the viability of their proposal before submitting an application.

Ineligibility

Individuals are not eligible to apply for a Project Grant.