Interchange is a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance made possible with support from the Mellon Foundation. Interchange is designed to strengthen communities and individual artists within our region by supporting artist-led projects focused on social impact.
Interchange grants will be awarded to sixteen artists with an active socially-engaged creative practice in the Mid-America Arts Alliance region through:
You are eligible to apply if you:
What determines a socially-engaged creative practice?
Artists working in and across a range of disciplines may apply. You will be asked to identify the primary discipline that applies to the project you are proposing.
You are not eligible to apply if you are:
*If you are an artist working within a 501c3 nonprofit organization, K-12 school or post-secondary institution, proposed projects must be separate from the cope of your compensated work for that organization or educational institution.
The Interchange Artist Grant program is interested in projects that make change in communities by actively engaging people around social issues, opportunities and challenges. A community may be defined geographically (e.g., town, neighborhood) or by relationships and characteristics (e.g., identity, heritage).
Interchange grants will support a new project, or a significant component and/or further development of an ongoing project.
Projects do not necessarily have to take place in the community where you reside. Depending on scope and intent, projects may have a reach outside of the city or town where you live. You will, however, be required to make a public presentation about your project in your community of residence in 2020. Priority will be given to projects that take place in the M-AAA region (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas).
A competitive project application must:
*The grant may be used for any project-related expenses (e.g., documentation, artist fees, travel, or the purchase of equipment or materials). The budget should show both expenses and income and include in-kind contributions.
The Interchange Artist Grant program is interested in projects that make change in communities by actively engaging people around social issues, opportunities and challenges. A community may be defined geographically (e.g., town, neighborhood) or by relationships and characteristics (e.g., identity, heritage).
Interchange grants will support a new project, or a significant component and/or further development of an ongoing project.
Projects do not necessarily have to place in the community where you reside. Depending on scope and intent, projects may have a reach outside of the city or town where you live. You will be required to make a public presentation about your project within the granting period. Priority will be given to projects that take place in the M-AAA region (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas).
Examples of projects include:
A competitive project application must:
*The grant may be used for project-related expenses (e.g., documentation, artist fees, travel, or the purchase of equipment or materials). The budget should show both expenses and income and include in-kind contributions.
Applications Open
May 1, 2021
Applications Close
July 5, 2021
Notification of Awards
September 2021
Grant Payment (25% of award)
September 15, 2021
Professional Development Retreat #1
October 2021
Grant Payment (75% of award)
January 2022
Professional Development Retreat #2
July 2022
Public Project Presentations**
September – November 2022
Final Reports Due***
March 2023
**You are required to participate in one iteration of the four-part webinar series, titled “Interchange: Social Practice In Conversation,” organized by Mid-America Arts Alliance, where you will discuss the process of your project with other Interchange grantees before the end of the grant period.
***We are conscious of the nature of artist projects, and social practice projects in particular may require changes that would extend the timeline beyond this deadline. We do, however, want the primary project activities to occur within the time frame we have outlined above.