The Arkansas Arts Council invites performing and visual artists or art groups to apply to be included in the Arkansas Arts on Tour (AOT) roster. Updated each year, the AOT roster lists a broad spectrum of Arkansas’ finest solo and ensemble performers, individual visual artists, and prepared art exhibitions or workshops available for touring within our state. The online AOT roster features over 200 selected artists and facilitates bookings by arts organizations, festival and event planners, schools, civic organizations and government. Although it remains the artist’s responsibility to generate bookings, an endorsement by the Arkansas Arts Council as an AOT roster artist provides an important way for the artists to market their availability.
The Arts on Tour program is designed to reimburse a portion of the contract costs paid by presenters who book the artists listed on the AOT roster. Once a presenter fulfills the terms of a contract with an AOT artist, the Arkansas Arts Council will subsidize 40% of the costs of the event as long as funds are available.
New Arts on Tour artists are selected through an audition/interview process. Panel members represent performers, presenters, and Arkansas Arts Council members. The selection process involves an informal presentation and a discussion of marketing and promotional plans with panel members.
To be eligible for the Arts on Tour program:
- Individual performers or visual artists must maintain a primary residency in Arkansas; ensembles or groups must be Arkansas based, although their listed contact can live out of state.
- Applicants must have presented concerts, exhibitions, programs, or lecture-demonstrations in locations away from their home city at least twice in the past year; exhibiting visual artists must have been showcased in a formal gallery space.
The Arkansas Arts Council reserves the right to determine the appropriateness of the scope or nature of the presentation proposed by an applicant or selected Arts on Tour artist, and retains the right to determine the suitability of an AOT artist to remain on the roster once they have been selected. For additional information, contact Grant Programs Manager Jess Anthony at 501-324-9768 or by email at jess@arkansasheritage.org.