New Mexico Arts announces mini-grants for veteran and military service arts projects

December 12th, 2022

Santa Fe, NM – New Mexico Arts (NMA), the state’s arts agency, announces a funding opportunity for arts organizations and veteran-focused organizations to create or expand opportunities for veterans and active-duty service members to engage with the arts. NMA is offering $2,000 mini grants with a short application process that does not require matching funding in this first-year pilot program. 

“The Arts and the Military Initiative is rooted in NMA’s mission to ensure the arts are central to the lives of New Mexicans,” said Michelle Laflamme-Childs, executive director of NMA. “We invite arts and culture organizations from across the state to look at how these mini grants might support expanding their existing programming to include this important constituency. In addition, we encourage more traditional veteran-serving organizations to consider how the arts might be integrated into their programs.”

Proposed projects should serve military and veteran audiences, including active-duty service members, reservists, National Guard members, veterans, their families and caregivers, and others. Projects could fall into three categories:

Learning-based arts projects, including classes and workshops, held both in-person and online. 

Audience-based arts projects, including performances, exhibitions, and festivals, held in-person or online.

Capacity-building projects, including professional development opportunities, consultant services, program research, development, and evaluation expenses. 

Eligible applicants should be Federal 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organizations, units of government, schools, colleges, universities, and Indian tribal government entities. Organizations receiving New Mexico Arts funding in other grant programs can also apply for this Arts and the Military grant opportunity. The deadline to apply for the grants is January 13, 2023, at 5 p.m. MST. 

New Mexico has 141,558 veterans residing in the state with military retirees in all 33 counties. 8.8% of the adults in the state are veterans, a higher percentage than neighboring states and the 12th largest veteran-to-adult population in the United States.  

Interested parties can find the application and guidelines for these Arts and the Military mini grants at https://www.nmarts.org/nma-military/. 

For more information, contact Arts and the Military Program Coordinator, Kevin Lenkner, 505-412-5791 or email kevin.lenkner@dca.nm.gov. 

About New Mexico Arts   

New Mexico Arts is the state arts agency and a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs. New Mexico Arts administers the state’s One Percent for Public Art program, awards grants to nonprofit organizations for arts and cultural programs in their communities across the state, and provides technical assistance and educational opportunities for organizations, artists, and arts educators throughout New Mexico.