MPAC Receives Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

The Montana Performing Arts Consortium (MPAC) is pleased to announce it is the recipient of an FY 2026 grant award of $17,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts’ Grants for Arts Projects program. This funding will support the 2026 Artist Showcase and Conference in Helena and professional development programs for the MPAC performing arts community. “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support opportunities across the country for Americans to experience and participate in the arts,” said Mary Anne Carter, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “As we celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary this year, it is a moment to recognize the important role the arts continue to play in our lives, communities, and heritage.” 

Project Impact and Statewide Programming

The $17,000 NEA award supports the 2026 Artist Showcase & Conference, scheduled for October 16–18, 2026, at the Helena Civic Center. The event will feature juried showcases by seventeen different touring artist groups from throughout North America and Montana Poet Laureate Chris La Tray as a guest speaker. This event serves as a catalyst for the collaborative "block-booking" tours that bring world-class talent to communities throughout the state. The success of this model is evidenced by the upcoming 2026-27 season resulting from the MPAC’s 2025 showcase and conference event in Great Falls. Through the conference and coordinated efforts of MPAC and its members, Montana communities will have the opportunity to experience performances and outreach programs by world-class artists touring across the state—from Libby to Baker and Hamilton to Sidney.

The impact of these programs is most significant for rural Montana, where MPAC serves as an essential link to the performing arts. In the 2024-2025 season, activities supported through MPAC's rural arts presenter initiatives reached more than 18,000 Montanans, including over 14,000 students and 5,000 seniors. These figures represent the reach of nine participating small-budget and volunteer-led organizations. Across this specialized rural network, MPAC supported 78 public performances and 146 school outreach events, providing enriching cultural and educational experiences to communities that often navigate the challenges of long distances and limited resources to access professional artists. Beyond these nine program participants, there are thousands more residents served by other rural MPAC organizations and larger urban member presenters, such as the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings or The Myrna Loy in Helena. 

Beyond the flagship conference, this grant sustains the recently launched Connect & Learn Lab, MPAC’s year-round professional development series. The lab provides arts and nonprofit leaders with interactive workshops to support the specific needs of performing arts organizations in small communities. By offering both virtual and in-person learning opportunities, MPAC ensures that Montana’s network of presenters, artists, and agents has the technical assistance and peer support needed to thrive and grow.

“Bringing the arts to rural places is always a challenge and this NEA grant is a direct investment in the people who work creatively and collaboratively to make it happen,” says Emily Wolfram, executive director of MPAC. “These public funds go back to Montana communities by supporting the local programs that serve as the cultural anchors. It has the kind of impact that can make professional touring sustainable for artists, affordable for small communities, and ultimately makes arts access a reality for all Montanans.”

MPAC is one of nine Montana organizations awarded funding through the NEA’s Grants for Arts Projects program for fiscal year 2026. MPAC is also supported in part by the Montana Arts Council and Creative West (a Regional Arts Organization). Additional support comes from coal tax placed into Montana's Cultural and Aesthetic Projects Trust Fund.

About the Montana Performing Arts Consortium

Founded in 1981, the Montana Performing Arts Consortium (MPAC) is a nonprofit, statewide network of presenting organizations, performing artists, and arts partners working together to strengthen access to live performing arts across Montana. MPAC supports sustainable touring, presenter development, and field-building through programs such as its annual Artist Showcase & Conference, artist fee support for community presenters, and year-round professional development and collaboration. By helping bridge distances in a largely rural state, MPAC works to ensure that high-quality live performance is visible, accessible, and woven into community life across Montana.

About the National Endowment for the Arts 

Established by Congress, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. To learn more, visit arts.gov.