Spokane-based Alliance for Media Arts and Culture receives MacArthur Foundation grant

The Alliance for Media Arts and Culture, which has been based in Spokane since 2017, has recently been awarded a $300,000 grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

The grant will be used for field-building programs that provide community-based media arts organizations across the country with access to new technologies, tools to help innovate youth media programs, professional mentorship for arts leaders, workforce development and “cultural strategies designed to deepen impact and build equity and sustainability across the media sector,” according to a press release.

“The Alliance is committed to building a world where humanity, creativity and culture thrive,” Executive Director Wendy Levy said in a statement. “Our programs are designed to connect and advance media and journalism organizations and independent artists, spur collaborations and vibrant cross-sector partnerships, and provide access to technology and needed resources for creative communities often trapped in culture of scarcity.”

The Alliance’s programs include the National Youth Media Network and Arts2Work, the first federally-registered national apprenticeship program in media arts and creative technologies.

Last year, the Alliance hosted a series called Monday Movies at Magic Lantern. Levy said the organization will continue the series next year.