September 24, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Indianapolis, Indiana) Today, the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) announced it has awarded $2,438,998 to 345 nonprofit and public entities to fund arts projects and organizations around the state through the Fiscal Year 2026 Arts Organization Support and FY26 Spring Arts Project Support grant programs.
During its July Quarterly Business Meeting, the Commission approved the funding recommendations for the two grant programs. Applications were evaluated by 133 external grant reviewers from around the state and country with expertise in the arts, community development, and nonprofit management.
Arts Organization Support grants provide annual operating support for the ongoing artistic and administrative functions of eligible arts organizations. Arts Project Support grants provide funding to Indiana nonprofit organizations and public entities for a specific arts project or arts activity(ies). The Arts Project Support and Arts Organization Support programs are facilitated in partnership with the IAC Regional Arts Partners, who work alongside the agency to promote and expand participation in the arts in Indiana. Between both programs, 345 applications out of 545 received were recommended for funding, and 80 of Indiana’s 92 counties will receive direct investment through a funded arts organization or arts project.
“This is an exciting time for our state and for the many organizations selected and their communities.” said Dave Haist, Chair of the Indiana Arts Commission. “Each of our Commissioners believe deeply in the critical importance of the arts in making Indiana a place for all to want to live and work and for those not within our state to consider Indiana as a place to locate their families and businesses and invest in Indiana’s future.”
Following are examples of Arts Organization Support grant recipients:
- Traditional Arts Today, based in Dubois County, promotes, teaches, and preserves traditional art practices while embracing new art forms of the people and cultures that call Southern Indiana home. Based in a historic home in Ferdinand, Traditional Arts Today offers classes and provides a venue for regional artists to sell their work.
- Fort Wayne Youtheatre’s mission is to educate, engage, and entertain regional youth and families through theatre arts. Fort Wayne Youtheatre provides arts education classes, camps, and workshops in acting, dance, voice, and technical theatre for youth, ages 3-18, with scholarships available to remove financial barriers to participation.
View all Arts Organization Support recipients. Arts Organization Support grants operate on a two-year cycle, with applications next opening for Fiscal Year 2028.
Following are examples of Arts Project Support Spring cycle grant recipients:
- North Vernon Main Street was awarded an Arts Project Support grant to support the Art on Main program in Jennings County. The Art on Main program invites artists of all ages to submit their work for selection, with chosen pieces displayed on banners for two months in the community. The project will highlight local creativity and beautify the downtown district of North Vernon.
- The Shirley Heinze Land Trust in Valparaiso will utilize an Arts Project Support grant to support the Nature in the Arts programming series. Nature in the Arts is a set of family-friendly, outdoor programs designed to engage community members on Shirley Heinze Land Trust nature preserves. Participants will gain a greater understanding of the ecological significance of each preserve, learning about different habitats, animals, and native plants through partner-led art activities.
View all Arts Project Support grant recipients. Arts Project Support grants are offered twice per fiscal year. Applications for the Fall cycle of the program are currently open and will be accepted through September 30th at 11:59PM ET.
“Art and creativity create stronger, more connected Hoosier communities,” said Miah Michaelsen, Executive Director of the Indiana Arts Commission. “Across Indiana, public funding for arts and creativity continually proves to be a high-return investment that improves the quality of life of Hoosiers and drives economic development within our state. We are proud to support organizations and projects that develop connections, foster the entrepreneurial spirit of communities, and create the kinds of places where people want to live, work, study, and stay.”
The Indiana Arts Commission is dedicated to the vision of the arts everywhere, every day, for everyone in Indiana.
Media Contact:
Gwendolyn Pickett
Communications Manager, Indiana Arts Commission
gpickett@iac.in.gov
(317) 607-3505
The Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) is an agency of state government that works directly with communities, creatives, and organizations to harness the power of creativity to strengthen Indiana. Through its programs and services, the IAC funds and supports arts experiences, arts education, and the arts economy to enhance the quality of life for Indiana’s people and places.
In 1997, the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) and 12 community-based organizations jointly established the Indiana Regional Arts Partnerships (RAP), a collaborative project to enhance support for arts and cultural activities statewide, especially in underserved areas. The RAPs enhance the delivery of services, move the decision-making about IAC funds closer to you, and are the cornerstone of the IAC’s structure.
As the Region 5 Regional Arts Partner, the Community Foundation of Randolph County provides resources and information for arts in Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Union, and Wayne Counties.
Learn more about the Region 5 Arts Partnership and AOS and APS activities in our region.
Regional Arts Partners are your first point of contact for two of the IAC’s core grants that funding for general operations and arts programming through the Arts Organization Support and Arts Project Support programs.
Braydee Euliss, Regional Arts Partner
beuliss@randolphcountyfoundation.org
(765) 584-9077 ext 205