Indiana Arts Commission

Now Accepting Applications: 2025-26 Shakespeare in American Communities Grants of up to $30,000 to support theater programming across the nation – including a brand-new Apprenticeships program.

Compose your way to $10k 🎵 Calling all musicians! The Indiana Destination Development Foundation invites you to capture our state's fun and excitement in the form of a musical jingle for a chance to win $10,000. The contest is open now through Nov. 4, 2024.

🔗 Full details and rules can be found at INIndiana.com/contests.

Now Accepting Applications: 2025-26 NEA Big Read The NEA Big Read is a national program that offers matching grants of up to $20,000 to support community-wide reading programs.

Beginning in the Fall of 2023, the Indiana Arts Commission launched a statewide Artist Needs Assessment. The assessment consisted of two core components: (1) eleven in-person facilitated listening sessions across Indiana with artists of a variety of backgrounds and (2) a subsequent public survey based on listening session feedback that was disseminated statewide. The Indiana Arts Commission has evaluated the results of the Artist Needs Assessment and is now ready to share findings and outline future programming and services for Indiana artists that is directly informed by the feedback.

Join the IAC staff on Thursday, October 17th at 5PM ET for a presentation on the learnings and programmatic responses.

Register to attend - https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItcu2urjIiHVhJIP0q-GZ0qf8ShxBWi9c

In June 2024, the Gary Youth Poet Laureate Society crowned Paij Rhymes as Gary’s inaugural Youth Poet Laureate, further enriching the city’s artistic legacy. Are you interested in amplifying the voices of young poets at the forefront of societal transformation? Learn how to start an official Youth Poet Laureate Program in your local community with Akilia McCain (Gary Youth Poet Laureate Program Founder), Paij Rhymes (Inaugural Gary Youth Poet Laureate), Dr. Camea Davis (National Youth Poet Laureate Program Director), and Curtis Crisler (Indiana Poet Laureate).

Register for the webinar here: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItc-mvpz4pHCehPdzHYxA559-w8TVLHdE #/registration

The works of 28 Hoosier poets have been added to the INverse Poetry Archive. An initiative of former Indiana Poet Laureate Adrian Matejka, INverse celebrates and preserves the diverse range of Indiana poetry for future generations of Indiana writers and readers.

Read the press release to learn more -

Arts Commission announces additions to Indiana’s Digital Poetry Archive Arts Commission announces additions to Indiana’s Digital Poetry Archive Indiana Arts Commission sent this bulletin at 09/26/2024 02:00 PM EDT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 26, 2024 Arts Commission announces additions to Indiana’s Digital Poetry Archive (INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Arts Commissio...

Apply by September 30th!

The Indiana Arts Commission is hiring a Director of Programs!
The Director of Programs ensures that programs and services provide demonstrable public benefit to Indiana's people and communities. An ideal candidate will model innovative and creative thinking and problem-solving, bring a history of effective analysis, and be highly skilled in programmatic evaluation, data analysis, and information dissemination.
This position is best suited for someone highly effective in leading a team, engaged actively in Indiana arts and culture, and passionate for statewide public service.

Learn more and apply at in.gov/arts/home/careers

The Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) is now accepting applications for Creative Convergence. Creative Convergence is a team-based workshop and funding opportunity aimed at creative community development. The program is held in partnership with the Indiana Communities Institute (ICI) at Ball State University’s Miller College of Business.
As a result of the Creative Convergence program, community leaders, organizational representatives, and creatives will better understand how to embed arts and creativity in community and economic planning and solutions, how to work collaboratively across sectors, and how to effectively engage their community.
Learn more and apply at in.gov/arts

The Indiana Arts Commission is hiring a Director of Programs!
The Director of Programs ensures that programs and services provide demonstrable public benefit to Indiana's people and communities. An ideal candidate will model innovative and creative thinking and problem-solving, bring a history of effective analysis, and be highly skilled in programmatic evaluation, data analysis, and information dissemination.
This position is best suited for someone highly effective in leading a team, engaged actively in Indiana arts and culture, and passionate for statewide public service.

Learn more and apply at in.gov/arts/home/careers

Poetry Out Loud to Celebrate 20th Anniversary During 2024-2025 School Year The 2024-2025 school year marks the 20th anniversary of Poetry Out Loud®, an arts education program and dynamic poetry recitation competition for high school students that lifts poetry off the page, creating community and connection.

Grantee spotlight!

Classically trained pianist Clare Longedyke utilized her (FY24) Lifelong Arts Indiana (CY23) grant to host the Concert-goers Social Club, a four month program tailored to adults aged 55+ with interests in classical, jazz, and world music. The class offered pre-concert sessions for enhancing each concert-going experience, attendance at diverse live music events, as well as provided opportunities to develop and synthesize musical knowledge through written concert reviews. Participants compiled individual reflections into a digital journal to look back on after their experience in the club. Lifelong Arts Indiana is made possible by a partnership between the Indiana Arts Commission and the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Division of Aging.

Conner Prairie, an IAC Arts Project Support grant recipient, hosted the Asante Theatre Program with a goal of highlighting histories and stories of minorities as well as providing youth with opportunities to write, act, and produce plays. Eight actors ranging in age from 11-18 came together to perform “Soul. Clap, and Dance: Joy as Resistance”. The performance was able to reach a wide audience, welcoming 279 guests across three shows. Interested in learning more about APS grants? Learn more: https://www.in.gov/arts/programs-and-services/funding/arts-project-support/

Grantee Spotlight! Lifelong Arts Indiana programming generates meaningful creative experiences for older adults such as Audrey Johnson who organized “Lest We Forget”: Voices of American Women Yesterday & Tomorrow, a choral concert for adults 65+ “designed to educate and tell the unknown stories behind the Women’s Suffrage movement of the early 20th century”. The Indiana Arts Commission is pleased to support creative programming for older adults through a partnership with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Division of Aging. Learn more about creative aging and the Lifelong Arts Indiana here:
https://www.in.gov/arts/programs-and-services/training/lifelong-arts-indiana/

Grantee spotlight! The Bloomington Creative Glass Center utilized an Arts Organization Support grant to host their third annual Culture Fest, celebrating the art and culture of medieval Islam. The event partnered with musical group Salaam, featured folktales from the Bloomington Storytellers Guild, included a geometric tile project, and much more. An exhibit of Islamic Art and Roman glass was also held at the IU Eskenazi Museum in addition to mosaic programming for middle and high schoolers at the Bloomington Islamic Center.
Click here to learn about AOS grants: https://www.in.gov/arts/programs-and-services/funding/arts-organization-support/

Today, the Indiana Arts Commission announced it has awarded $3,521,351 to 338 nonprofits to fund arts projects and organizations around the state through the Arts Organization Support and Arts Project Support grant programs.

“Art and creativity foster connection and cohesion, support the entrepreneurial spirit communities need to thrive, and help build the kinds of communities where people want to live, work, play, study, and stay,” said Miah Michaelsen, Executive Director of the Indiana Arts Commission. “In every corner of the Hoosier state, public funding for arts and creativity continually proves to be a high-return investment that positively impacts the cultural, economic, and educational climate of Indiana. It is a privilege to support the organizations building stronger Indiana communities through arts and creativity.”

Learn more about Arts Organization Support and Arts Project Support grant recipients here: https://www.in.gov/arts/programs-and-services/funding/grants-awarded/

Happy National Intern Day from the IAC! Victory Sampson and Brynn Patrick joined the Indiana Arts Commission this summer through the Governor's Summer Internship Program and we can't thank them enough for their hard work!
Victory Sampson is a student at Butler University, double majoring in Multilingual Studies and Strategic Communications with a minor in Psychology. This summer, Victory served as the Program Management and Grants Intern.
Brynn Patrick is a student at Indiana University, majoring in Arts Management with a minor in Art History. This summer, she served as the Communications Intern.
We are so grateful for the wonderful work that Victory and Brynn have done this summer and look forward to seeing all that they accomplish next!

Announcing the Midwest Culture Bearers Award A $5,000 award that celebrates and supports the work of Midwest culture bearers and folk arts practitioners.

The Indiana Arts Commission announced today that over 100 educators and arts administrators will participate in the 2024 Summer Institute for Creative Teaching. The Summer Institute for Creative Teaching began in 2023 and is a partnership with the Indiana Department of Education. Through hands-on experiences and collaboration with peers, participants will learn effective and innovative teaching strategies to implement in their classrooms and programs. Learn more about the three-day, in-person learning experience at the link in our bio!

The Indiana Arts Commission announced today that 11 Indiana communities have received training and been approved for $10,000 in grant funding through the Creative Convergence program. Creative Convergence is a program held in partnership with the Indiana Communities Institute at Ball State University’s Miller College of Business. Community representatives from local government, arts organizations, educational institutions, and other community-focused roles were in attendance for this program, which includes a two-day training workshop and an Early-Action Grant Program. View photos of the training here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/inartscomm/albums/72177720317004714/

State Announces Planning Grants for Arts & Culture Initiative Through READI 2.0 IEDC to partner with Indiana Arts Commission to help READI 2.0 regions advance arts and culture projects in local communities

Calling all artists! Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center is looking for a talented artist to create a Beatles themed painting to be displayed in the Indiana Farmers Coliseum. This special project will pay tribute to the Beatles' only performance in Indiana, which took place at the Indiana State Fairgrounds 60 years ago on September 3, 1964! Interested? Make sure to apply by July 10, 2024! Learn more here:https://cdn.saffire.com/files.ashx?t=fg&rid=IndianaStateFair&f=Beatles_Artist_Submission.pdf

From the 1940’s through the present, banjo player Jim Smoak has helped shape Bluegrass as a musical genre. His accomplishments include working with the father of Bluegrass music, Bill Monroe, recording for folklorist Harry Oster, and publishing one of the first instrumental books on three finger banjo method. He began writing songs in the 1970’s, and continues to teach banjo, guitar, and harmonica today.

The 2023 Indiana Governor’s Arts Award winners were profiled in films directed and produced by William Bryant Rozier of Scrambled Eggs LLC. Zachary Vessels of TopSphere Media served as Director of Photography and the main editor of the films. View Jim's film now and learn more about the award recipients at the link in our bio!

As a self-taught, Alaskan-born, Indianapolis-based interdisciplinary artist, D. Del Reverda-Jennings’ practice draws from a kaleidoscope of cultural nuance, insight, and experience as a creative. Her award-winning 2 and 3-dimensional artworks feature personal symbolism and reflective imagery pervasive of African/Caribbean Latine/o/a diasporic culture, relative to her lineage and as a celebration of womankind.

The 2023 Indiana Governor’s Arts Award winners were profiled in films directed and produced by William Bryant Rozier of Scrambled Eggs LLC. Zachary Vessels of TopSphere Media served as Director of Photography and the main editor of the films. You can watch D.’s film now at the link in our bio!

The Indiana Arts Commission announced today that 36 libraries have received training and grant funding through Lifelong Arts Indiana, a program that promotes arts and creativity services for adults ages 65 and older. Each library will receive up to $5,000 to host programming for older adults, supported by the Indiana Arts Commission in partnership with the Family and Social Services Administration. Learn more about Lifelong Arts Indiana and each of the funded projects here: https://www.in.gov/arts/programs-and-services/training/lifelong-arts-indiana/ -449004-Organizations_Programming

Christy Burgess is the co-founder and director of the Robinson Shakespeare Company, a program based out of the Robinson Community Learning Center in South Bend, Indiana. Burgess was selected as a North American Teaching Consultant for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2011 and won the Susan D. Wisely Youth Worker of the Year Award in 2016.
As a 2023 Indiana Governor’s Arts Award winner, Christy was profiled in a film directed and produced by William Bryant Rozier of Scrambled Eggs LLC. Zachary Vessels of TopSphere Media served as Director of Photography and the main editor of the films for award winners.
View Christy’s film and learn more about the award recipients at the link in our bio!