Montana Arts Council Announces $314,800 In Cultural and Aesthetic Program Grants

• August 04 2021

HELENA, Mont., August 4, 2021. Yellowstone Park’s iconic buses have shuttled thousands through the park since 1936, and those which have been retired deserve a good home. Buses of Yellowstone Preservation Trust aims to provide just such a home with its restoration of the A. D. Whitcom garage in Red Lodge. The project is one of 75 funded for fiscal years 2022-2023 through Montana’s Cultural and Aesthetic Program. Administered by the Montana Arts Council, this year’s grants support important work being done statewide to strengthen our cultural and creative infrastructure. In Miles City, the WaterWorks Art Museum will expand its Kidz Create program, which provides art instruction to youth in eleven southwestern counties. And the Fort Peck Fine Arts Council will use its grant to keep a roof over the head of the historic Fort Peck Theatre, protecting the 87-year-old structure from northeastern Montana’s famously harsh weather.

In all, $314,800 has been awarded to 75 organizations across the state, addressing the needs of a wide range of artistic disciplines, physical infrastructure, and programming. The selected grantees each provide unique cultural enrichment as well as economic benefit to their communities, even if some do so with less fanfare than others. As Advisory Committee Chairman Bill Jones of Harlowton explains, “As committee members, we learned about organizations that we had never heard of, and we also garnered a deeper appreciation of the exemplary work non-profits are doing all across this state.”

Cultural and Aesthetic Program grants are funded by Montana’s coal mining industry, through coal severance taxes placed in the state’s cultural and aesthetic projects trust fund to enhance Montana’s creative heritage.

The full list of FY 22-23 Cultural and Aesthetic Program grants follows.

About the Cultural and Aesthetic Trust

In 1975, the Montana Legislature set aside a percentage of the Coal Tax to restore murals in the Capitol and support other cultural and aesthetic projects. This unique funding source is a Cultural Trust, with grant money allocated every two years. Grant funds are derived from the interest earned on the Cultural Trust. In 1983, the Legislature established a Cultural and Aesthetic Projects Advisory Committee with 16 members, half appointed by the Montana Arts Council and half by the Montana Historical Society. The committee reviews all grant proposals and makes funding recommendations to the Legislature, which determines who will receive grant funds. The Montana Arts Council administers the program for the Legislature.

About the Montana Arts Council

In 1965 Montana Annotated Code 22-2-102 established the MAC as an agency of state government. The MAC mission is to develop the creative potential of all Montanans, advance education, spur economic vibrancy, and revitalize communities through involvement in the arts. Fifteen individuals appointed by the Governor oversee the Montana Arts Council. More information can be found at art.mt.gov

Agency Contact Information:
Eric Heidle                                                        
(406) 444-6133
eric.heidle@mt.gov

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