MAAA hosts the 7th annual Artists 360 Full Circle Showcase

The Mid-America Arts Alliance partners with Crystal Bridges to bring artists from across Northwest Arkansas to perform and showcase their art to the community.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Artists from across Northwest Arkansas gathered at Crystal Bridges for the Artists 360 Full Circle Showcase to share their talent and honor the program.

The director of arts for the Mid-America Arts Alliance (MAAA), the group behind the showcase, says they help artists financially and socially to elevate their careers.

“This is kind of the highlight event of the Artists 360 program,” Diane Scott said. “Artists 360 is a program that provides monetary support, professional development, mentoring, networking, and opportunities to artists in the five counties of Northwest Arkansas.”

Lakisha Bradley, the winner of this year’s MAAA community impact award, says this event is a great way for artists to showcase their skills. But not just any artist can perform, they must have been accepted in a previous year’s grant.

“Today is just a representation of what they call Full Circle,” Bradley said. “We bring all collaborative artists together who are recipients of the grant … to showcase our artworks and our impact to the community.”

Scott said holding the Full Circle Showcase at such a prominent building in this community meant so much to the organization.

“Crystal Bridges is a magnificent space— visually, acoustically. And so, really providing that kind of super exciting experience for people to be able to experience the work of these artists,” Scott said.

Most importantly, Scott says that what these artists do is such an important part of the Northwest Arkansas community.

“We think about all the places like Crystal Bridges that are cultural institutions and, you know, being here on a beautiful Sunday, you know, thousands and thousands of people coming to visit the museum, it’s really important,” Scott said. “But none of that happens if you don’t have artists. And so providing that support, monetary support and emotional support, business support to individual artists, is what makes those things ultimately available.”

Bradley couldn’t agree more.

“I believe that art is the highest form of human expression. So being able to create space that artists can collectively come together and demonstrate the impact for others is a great way to do it.” Bradley added.

If you want to apply to the Artists 360 program, visit MAAA’s website. Applications for the 2024 group open April 22 at 9 a.m.