Arts Council of the Valley Opens Advancing the Arts Spring Grant Cycle

HARRISONBURG, VA – Got a creative concept for an arts-related proposal that would benefit the Harrisonburg-Rockingham community?

Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) is now accepting Spring grant cycle applications for Arts for Education and Creative Inspiration projects to take place between Apr 1 and Oct 31, 2026.

Awards range from $500 to $1,500. Electronically submitted proposals for both grant categories are due by 5 pm March 11, with award notification within three weeks after the deadline.

“Advancing the Arts grants represent an important investment in the arts infrastructure of our community,” ACV Executive Director Jenny Burden explained, noting that ACV’s grants have touched tens of thousands of lives over more than two decades.

“These awards tangibly express ACV’s continuing commitment to creative projects designed to cultivate the arts, create experiences, and connect communities,” she added.

Advancing the Arts grants are awarded to artists and art educators, during fall and spring funding cycles. Awardees may receive one grant per calendar year. In 2025, ACV awarded a total of $14,600 to nine Arts for Education and three Creative Inspiration projects designed to serve some 10,500 people. Since launching its grants program in 2001, ACV has awarded more than $524,800.

Visit valleyarts.org/grants-arts-for-education or valleyarts.org/grants-creative-inspiration for Spring 2026 guidelines and application materials.

Online Grant Information sessions - covering both types of grants - help guide potential applicants through the process and allow time for individual questions. Sessions typically last about an hour, and attendance is strongly encouraged for anyone considering a grant proposal.

Online Spring Info Sessions are scheduled Thursday, Feb 19 at 5 pm, and Tuesday, Feb 24 at 4 pm. To register, visit valleyarts.org/grants-arts-for-education or
valleyarts.org/grants-creative-inspiration and select the session you would like to attend. -more-

Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) is located at 311 South Main Street in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Programs are supported in part by 2026 ACV Sponsors Kathy Moran Wealth Group and Riner Rentals.

A 501(c)3 nonprofit, ACV is dedicated to cultivating the arts, creating experiences, and connecting communities throughout the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Since it was established in 2000, ACV has grown into a multi-faceted community organization that fosters innovative partnerships among area businesses, civic organizations, schools, and artists. Today, ACV manages Smith House Galleries, funds local art projects through its Advancing the Arts grant program (awarding more than $524,800 since 2001), supports public art initiatives, and coordinates monthly First Fridays of the Valley community gatherings.

ACV is supported in part by the City of Harrisonburg and the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly. To learn more, visit valleyarts.org.

This press release was provided by Ann Leatherwood at Arts Council of the Valley.