FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Shari Kosel
Program & Communications Director
Arts South Dakota
shari@artssouthdakota.org
605.252.5979 ext. 1

 

PIERRE / BROOKINGS, S.D.; AUGUST 10, 2021 — The South Dakota Arts and Humanities Councils are coming together to support future programming of organizations invested in arts and humanities. The grants through the American Rescue Plan are available now for any organization working to incorporate arts, culture, and community in their programs.

These funds are also intended to help support jobs in the arts sector, keep the doors open to arts organizations nationwide, and assist the field in its response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Rescue Plan grant funding ranges from $4,500 – $20,000 through South Dakota Arts Council, while the South Dakota Humanities Council will award up to $25,000.

“We’ve witnessed how organizations across our state are building resiliency, growing and reimagining their futures. We’ve also seen how their efforts interconnect all aspects of community life. These grants are to support them in these change-making efforts,” said Jim Speirs, Executive Director of Arts South Dakota, an organization assisting the councils.

These funds were made available by the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities through the recently passed American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to boost the sectors as they rebuild and reimagine their work, and through a generous contribution from the South Dakota Legislature. “Work in arts, humanities and community-building are always driven by forward movement. So we’re really excited to support the work these organizations are doing in shaping our cities, towns, reservations, and counties,” he said.

All eligible organizations in the state are encouraged to apply and connect with the state arts and humanities councils regarding this funding. Organizations are also invited to join ‘Growing Season,’ an informational webinar about these grants, on August 19, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CT. Visit artsouthdakota.org/grants for more information.

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To schedule interviews with the South Dakota Arts Council and South Dakota Humanities Council, contact Shari Kosel at shari@artssouthdakota.org or 605-252-5979.

About Arts South Dakota
Arts South Dakota, funded entirely by donor contributions and grants, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose primary purpose is to enrich the lives of South Dakotans and their visitors, by advancing the arts through service, education and advocacy.

About South Dakota Arts Council
An office of the South Dakota Department of Tourism, the South Dakota Arts Council’s mission is to provide grants and services to artists, arts organizations and schools across the state, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the South Dakota Legislature.

Funding for the South Dakota Arts Council and its programs, including American Rescue Plan grants, is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, and through a generous contribution from the South Dakota Legislature.

About South Dakota Humanities Council
The South Dakota Humanities Council (SDHC), founded in 1972 in response to an act of Congress, is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit and the only cultural organization in the state whose sole mission is to deliver humanities programming to the people of South Dakota.

Funding for the South Dakota Humanities Council American Rescue Plan Grant Program is provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.