Jackson Free Press

I got permission from Susan Dobbs of the Mississippi Arts Commission to share this press release with you. If you have an art-related job with a non-profit organization and your job is at risk, or you run a non-profit and you're on the verge of letting go of employees in art-related positions due to a lack of funding, this is for you. Verbatim:

JACKSON – The Mississippi Arts Commission announces a new grant program, the Arts Reinvestment Initiative (ARI), which will administer and distribute federal funding received from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for support of job preservation in the non-profit arts sector. A portion of these federal funds is being divided among states and U.S Territories for distribution at the state level.

The Arts Reinvestment Initiative will provide one-time grants to non-profit organizations or government agencies in Mississippi to sustain jobs in the arts that have been cut or are in danger of being eliminated due to the current national economic downturn. The ARI is a two-tiered program that will award grants to both larger staffed arts organizations and smaller volunteer (or part-time staffed) groups that produce arts programming. The focus of the federal funding is to preserve and expand jobs in the arts; therefore, the ARI grants must be used in accordance with the NEA guidelines.

This allocation of funding is a significant recognition by the federal government of the importance of the arts to the national economy and the need to invest in its future. These funds will strengthen the arts infrastructure in Mississippi and support its pivotal role as a catalyst of civic vitality and economic development.

Information regarding the grant guidelines and application is available on the MAC website at http://www.arts.state.ms.us/programs/arts-reinvestment.php. The grant application deadline is July 10, 2009. For further information, contact Sallye Killebrew, Special Initiatives Director for the Mississippi Arts Commission; [e-mail missing] or call (601) 359-6030.

The Mississippi Arts Commission is a state agency, funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Wallace Foundation, Donna and Jim Barksdale, The Phil Hardin Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation and other private sources. MAC is the official grants making and service agency for the arts in Mississippi. The agency serves as an active supporter and promoter of arts in community life and in arts education.

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Susan Dobbs
Public Relations Director
Mississippi Arts Commission
501 North West Street
Suite 1101A, Woolfolk Building
Jackson, Mississippi 39201
601/359-6031 - phone
601/359-6008 - fax
http://www.arts.state.ms.us
[e-mail missing]

The Mississippi Arts Commission strives to support and celebrate Mississippi's creative spirit!