JACKSON, MISS. – July 9, 2020 – The Mississippi Arts Commission announces the rollout of the “South Arts Organizational Impact Grant” program as part of its continued efforts to provide relief to Mississippi’s arts sector due to the ongoing impacts of COVID-19. These “invite-only” grants are made possible through special funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts through South Arts. The grant will assist eligible small to mid-sized non-profit arts organizations with economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MAC received a total of $60,000 from its regional partner South Arts to establish the grant program. The agency intends to distribute the funding as quickly as possible to provide economic relief. As an invite-only grant, eligible arts organization invited to apply for South Arts Organizational Impact Grants will be contacted directly by MAC through its eGrant system.

“We are very grateful to our partner South Arts for providing us with a portion of their CARES Act funding from the NEA, which will undoubtedly help the state’s arts organizations weather this crisis,” said Malcolm White, executive director of MAC. “The arts sector faces significant economic challenges as the pandemic lingers. As such, recovery funding is essential to help keep these organizations alive so we can enjoy the arts now and in the future.”

The South Arts Organizational Impact Grant provides support for small to mid-size arts organizations and is the latest in a series of grants the agency has made available to Mississippi’s arts sector in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. More information on MAC’s COVID-19-related grant opportunities can be found at arts.ms.gov/MACCARES.

Additional COVID-19 information and resources for the arts sector is available on MAC’s COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness page.

For more information on MAC’s grants programs and other services, visit the agency’s website at arts.ms.gov.

Contact:  Anna Ehrgott | Communications Director | aehrgott@arts.ms.gov | (601) 359-6546

Painting in image is by Andrea Kostyal of Hattiesburg, Mississippi.