Smiley awards $100K for teaching artist program

PROVIDENCE, R.I, (WLNE) — Mayor Brett Smiley awarded $100,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding to support local artists who continue to suffer from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smiley, alongside Director of Art, Culture, and Tourism Joe Wilson Jr., presented the funding to Interlace Grant Fund and AS220.

Artists can apply for grants from the two organizations through the new Teaching Artist Grant Program, which will be started using the ARPA funding.

The grants range from $1,000 to $8,000 and will aim to support artists most affected by the pandemic, specifically Indigenous and African heritage teaching artists.

Smiley said the funding is just part of over $3 million the city has invested in the arts sector.

“Our city wouldn’t be the same without the contributions of our local artists, which is why we’ve continued to make concerted efforts to support this important sector of our economy and community,” Smiley said.

More information on applying for the TAG Program will be released by Interlace and AS220 in the near future.