One of the most valuable assets to a cook is the money to buy groceries, but money won’t help if you don’t have anywhere to cook. State art agencies often provide both funding and the opportunities to use it. I believe that state art agencies are under used by artists, and as a result, are often among the first to lose their funding during budget cuts.
Start Cooking!
In an effort to take away your excuses, here are all 50 of the state art agencies. This is the second half– Montana to Wyoming. Read about the State Art Organizations: Alabama to Missouri. Contact them today. Pour over their sites. Download grant applications. Don’t complain about the food until you’ve tried it.
Be the feather in the cap of your state’s art foundation, council or agency.
26. Montana Arts Council, PO Box 202201, 830 N Warren Street, Helena MT 59620-2201, Phone: 406-444-6430, Fax:406-444-6548, email: mac@mt.gov. The Montana Arts Council is the agency of state government established to develop the creative potential of all Montanans, advance education, spur economic vibrancy and revitalize communities through involvement in the arts. The Vision of the Montana Arts Council is that Montana will be known far and wide as “The Land of Creativity,” where the arts are essential to the creativity, imagination and entrepreneurship that make Big Sky Country a wonderful place to live, learn, work and play.
27. Nebraska Arts Council, 1004 Farnam Street, Omaha, NE 68102, Toll-Free: 800-341-4067, Phone: 402-595-2122. Nebraska Arts Council’s mission is to promote, cultivate and sustain the arts for the people of Nebraska. The Nebraska Arts Council strives to: build creative and proactive leadership in the arts; forge partnerships that create and expand opportunities for the arts; cultivate new resources needed to sustain the arts in Nebraska; establish the arts as basic to education and lifelong learning; use the arts as a catalyst for understanding among cultures; and advocate for increased awareness and access to the arts.
28. Nevada Arts Council, Carson City Office: 716 N. Carson St., Ste A, Carson City, NV 89701, Phone: 775.687.6680, Fax: 775.687.6688. Southern Office: 2755 E. Desert Inn, Ste 160, Las Vegas, NV 89121, Phone: 702.486.3700, Fax: 702.486.3887.
The mission of the Nevada Arts Council: To enrich the cultural life of the state through leadership that preserves, supports, strengthens, and makes excellence in the arts accessible to all Nevadans. Goals: Increase public access, participation and investment in Nevada’s arts and culture; incorporate the arts as an essential element in the educational experience of all Nevadans; strengthen the environment in which artists’ work and contributions are valued and supported, and to encourage and support diverse organizations that produce, present, and promote excellence in the arts.
29. New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, 2 1/2 Beacon Street, Suite 225, Concord, NH 03301-4447, TTY/TDD: 800-735-2964, Tel:603-271-2789, Fax: 603.271.3584. The State Arts Council envisions a time when New Hampshire citizens, knowing that the arts are vital to the human spirit, celebrate, participate in, and support the arts in their everyday lives. The arts, in turn, will grow New Hampshire’s capacity for creativity; build more vibrant communities; and bridge differences among people to secure an open, civil society.
30. New Jersey State Council on the Arts, 225 West State Street, 4th floor, Trenton, New Jersey 08608, Phone: 609.292.6130, TTY: 609-633-1186, Fax: 609-989-1440.
The mission of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA) is to improve the quality of life of this state by helping the arts to flourish. Accordingly, the members and staff of the NJSCA are firmly committed to achieving the following goals:Establishing artistically, financially and operationally successful arts organizations, institutions and programs that are diverse and accessible to all New Jerseyans; Supporting a respected and valued community of New Jersey artists encouraged to achieve their best and be broadly connected to community life in ways that make full use of their creativity and talents; Promoting expanded public participation in and support for the arts; Maintaining a network of people, businesses, organizations, institutions and communities working in partnership to advance the arts and the arts’ contributions to New Jersey community life; Creating high quality arts education for all New Jerseyans; and Building a state economy whose community and economic development strategies, plans and resource allocations at all jurisdictional levels feature the arts and culture.
31. New Mexico Arts, P.O.Box 1450 Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504, Phone: 505-827-6490, NM Toll-Free: 1-800-879-4278, Fax: 505-827-6043. The mission of the Arts Commission, in conjunction with New Mexico Arts, is to stimulate opportunities for artists, arts organizations, and other groups for activities or projects to provide artistic or cultural services to the state, to maintain and encourage artistic excellence, and to promote awareness of and access to the arts for all of the people of New Mexico.
32. New York State Council on the Arts, 175 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014, Tel: (800) 510-0021. The New York State Council on the Arts is dedicated to preserving and expanding the rich and diverse cultural resources that are and will become the heritage of New York’s citizens. The Council believes in supporting the following: Artistic excellence and the creative freedom of artists without censure, and the rights of all New Yorkers to access and experience the power of the arts and culture, and the vital contribution the arts make to the quality of life in New York communities.
33. North Carolina Arts Council, 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601, Phone: 919-807-6500, Fax 919-807-6532, email: ncarts@ncdcr.gov. North Carolina had long been recognized for rich traditions in crafts, literature, historical drama, and music when, by executive order in 1964, Governor Terry Sanford created the North Carolina Arts Council to strengthen North Carolina’s creativity, invention, and prosperity. Under Governor Dan K. Moore, the Arts Council became a statutory state agency in 1967. It operates today as an agency of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, the nation’s first cabinet level state agency for the arts, history, and libraries.
34. North Dakota Council on the Arts, 1600 East Century Avenue, Suite 6, Bismarck, ND 58503-0649, Phone: 701-328-7590, Fax 701-328-7595. It is the mission of the North Dakota Council on the Arts to promote, preserve and perpetuate the arts in North Dakota.Goals include: to deepen citizen arts and cultural engagement through the development of strong leadership; to enable community to community grass-roots arts advocacy engaging citizen participation and cultivating increased government and public support; to broaden strategies for advancing the arts in Pre K–12 education in North Dakota; and, to expand and deepen partnerships that enhance North Dakota Council on the Arts ability to assist artists and arts organizations shape North Dakota communities.
35. Ohio Arts Council, 727 E. Main Street, Columbus OH 43205-1796, Phone: 614-466-2613, Fax: 614-466-4494, Toll free: 888-243-8622. Mission Statement: “The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.” Vision Statement: “Providing leadership and voice for the arts to transform people and communities.”
36. Oklahoma Arts Council, P.O. Box 52001-2001, Oklahoma City, OK 73152-2001, Phone: 405-521-2931, Email: okarts@arts.ok.gov. For more than 40 years, the Oklahoma Arts Council has sustained Oklahoma’s vibrant non-profit arts industry. Since 1965, the Council has played a pivotal role in fostering the arts across the state. Mission: To lead, cultivate and support a thriving arts environment, which is essential to quality of life, education and economic vitality for all Oklahomans.
37. Oregon Arts Commission, 775 Summer Street NE, Ste 200, Salem, Oregon 97301-1280, Phone: 503-986-0082, Fax: 503-986-0260, TDD: 1-800-735-2900. The Oregon Arts Commission’s role is to lead through advocacy, policy development and planning; seek funding for and make grants to the arts; build coalitions between the public and private sectors and between arts and culture organizations; and, to ensure the arts touch the lives of all Oregonians. The Oregon Arts Commission celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007 and is still going strong.
38. Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, 216 Finance Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120, Phone: 717-787-6883, Fax: 717-783-2538, TTY: 800-654-5984. The mission of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) is to foster the excellence, diversity and vitality of the arts in Pennsylvania and to broaden the availability and appreciation of those arts throughout the state. Goals: Support Pennsylvania’s creative industry in providing cultural services to the people of the Commonwealth; Stimulate engagement between and among community leaders, arts organizations and artists to create more vibrant Pennsylvania communities; and, Align the PCA’s policies and programs to create a more efficient and effective agency.
39. Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA), One Capitol Hill, Third FLoor, Providence , RI , 02908, Phone: 401-222-3880, Fax: 401-222-3018, TDD: 711 (Rhode Island Relay system), info@arts.ri.gov. As set forth in the General Laws of Rhode Island, it is the responsibility of the Arts Council to: stimulate the growth of the state’s arts and the public’s participation in them, Survey and assess the needs of the arts state-wide, and to make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly; provide educational opportunities in the arts; actively support and encourage the expansion of the state’s cultural resources, and promote and protect freedom of artistic expression.
40. South Carolina Arts Commission, 1800 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC 29201, Phone: 803-734-8696, Fax: 803-734-8526. For more than 40 years, the agency has worked to make it possible for every citizen in the state to enjoy and benefit from the arts, even if he or she doesn’t have a lot of money or live in a large city. The Commission’s programs and activities fall into three major domains of public participation and service: Artist Development, Arts Education, and Community Arts Development. 
The SCAC has produced nationally recognized initiatives in arts curriculum reform, rural arts development, dance touring and audience development, community design, electronic communications, media arts, and traditional arts infrastructure development—all supported and sustained by a committed, experienced staff of field representatives and arts discipline specialists. In each of its key domains, the agency has expanded its capacity through well-established partnerships with other state agencies and institutions and private groups, extending well beyond the traditional boundaries of the arts community.
41. South Dakota Arts Council, 711 E Wells Ave, Pierre, SD 57501, Phone: 605-773-3301, Fax: 605-773-5657, email: sdac@state.sd.us. The South Dakota Arts Council is a state agancy serving South Dakotans and their communities through the arts. Recognizing the importance of creativity in the lives of all South Dakotans, the Council makes quality arts accessible throughout the state by providing encouragement, grants, services and information to artists, arts organizations, schools and the public.
42. Tennessee Arts Commission, 401 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville, TN 37243-0780. Phone: 615-741-1701, Fax: 615-741-8559, TTY: 1-800-848-0298. Through a variety of programs, the Commission has encouraged excellence in artistic expression through the state’s artists and arts organizations. That commitment has continued to expand through the years to ensure that the citizens of Tennessee have access to, and the opportunity to participate in the arts. 
TAC builds better communities by investing public dollars in Tennessee’s nonprofit arts industry; providing services to citizens, artists and arts organizations; and undertaking initiatives that enhance Tennessee ‘s cultural life.
43. Texas Commission on the Arts, Post Office Box 13406, Austin, Texas 78711-3406, Phone: 512-463-5535. The Texas Commission on the Arts’ mission is to develop a receptive climate for the arts in Texas. To accomplish its mission, TCA awards grants, promotes the arts, and raises funds to enhance support of the arts in Texas.
44. Utah Arts Council, 617 E South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84102, Phone: 801-236-7555, Fax: 801-236-7556. The Utah Arts Council conducts programs, directed by Council staff, which provide more than 500 outreach services (including financial assistance) to schools, local arts councils and organizations, community centers, performing groups and individual artists. Overall the Council serves as a catalyst for arts programming throughout the state, assisting arts organizations, groups and individuals in bringing the arts to the people of Utah. The Utah Arts Council’s main offices are located at the historic Glendinning Home, next door to the Governor’s Mansion on South Temple. The Folk Arts Program is housed at the Chase Home in the middle of Salt Lake City’s Liberty Park. Public Art and Visual Arts Program staffs are housed in the south wing of the Rio Grande Depot.
45. Vermont Arts Council, 136 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05633-6001, Phone: 802-828-3291, TTY: 711. The Council fosters classical, traditional, and emerging forms of artistic expression. It finds enduring ways to make the arts a part of all Vermont communities, bringing inspiration to Vermont citizens and visitors in every corner of the state. It advocates for and supports the arts as a central part of education for all people. 
The Council functions as a community partner and a catalyst for artists and organizations. It offers professional development opportunities and technical advice, collects and disseminates arts information, and acts as the state’s foremost arts advocate. VAC is a grass-roots organization with statewide trustees elected from and by its membership. As the only not-for-profit state arts agency in the country, VAC is uniquely qualified to unite both public and private resources to serve the following mission: To advance and preserve the arts at the center of Vermont communities.
46. Virginia Commission for the Arts, Lewis House, 223 Governor Street, Richmond, VA 23219, Phone: 804-225-3132, Fax: 804-225-4327, email: arts@arts.virginia.gov. Mission: To support and stimulate excellence in all of the arts, in their full cultural and ethnic diversity, in order to enhance the quality of life, to stimulate economic development, to support educational advancement, and to make the arts accessible to all Virginians.
47. Washington State Arts Commission, PO Box 42675, Olympia, WA 98504-2675, Phone: 360-753-3860, Fax: 360-586-5351, Email: info@arts.wa.gov. For more than 40 years, the work of the Washington State Arts Commission (WSAC) has been the conservation and development of the State’s artistic resources. To do so, WSAC has invested in strong, vibrant connections with artists, arts organizations and communities – integrating the arts into the state priorities.
48. West Virginia Commission on the Arts, The Culture Center
Capitol Complex, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston WV 25305-0300, Phone: (304) 558-0220, TDD: (304) 558-3562, Fax: (304) 558-2779 . The West Virginia Commission on the Arts, established in 1967, works with artists, arts organizations, schools, and community groups to foster a fertile environment for the artistic, cultural, educational and economic development of the state. The West Virginia Division of Culture and History receives annual support from the West Virginia Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, and a special grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, for competitive arts grants approved by the West Virginia Commission on the Arts and for arts administration services to arts organizations and individual artists across West Virginia.
49. Wisconsin Arts Board, First Floor, 101 E. Wilson Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53702, Phone: 608-266-0190, Fax: 608/267-0380, TDD: 608/267-9629, Email: artsboard@wisconsin.gov. The Wisconsin Arts Board is the state agency which nurtures creativity, cultivates expression, promotes the arts, supports the arts in education, stimulates community and economic development and serves as a resource for people of every culture and heritage.
50. Wyoming Arts Council, 2320 Capitol Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82002, Phone:307-777-7742, Fax:307-777-5499. Wyoming Arts Council Mission Statement: To enhance the quality of life for the people of Wyoming by providing resources to sustain, promote and cultivate the arts.
Click here for the State Art Organizations update from 6/21/2010.
I am very rarely surprised by artists.
Shane Watt
When I asked Watt about his artistic influences, he claimed his father as his biggest inspiration. Sweet. 
I won’t reveal the art he finds creepy, and I’ll leave it to you to figure out his favorite snack foods…yes, I do ask. I’m a nosey foodie, and it IS a food-themed art blog.
I think most of us can accept map making as an art form, and a few of us always think of maps as art. But in an age of GPS systems, only an artist would think of whimsical, semi-fictional maps as a specialty media. How perfect. I love a niche market. 
When asked if he includes puzzles and secrets in all of his work–even the commissions, he simply states, “The maps always contain at least four elements, the primary narrative, the muse, references to me and, of course, the secrets of the city. Whenever I create a commission I’m always very clear about the fact that the cities all inter-connect into the larger context of my fictitious country Loyala and need to have the four elements present….so far no one has really minded.”
