The Symphony of Northwest Arkansas received grants totaling more than $300,000 in May and July aimed at improving supporting its education programs in elementary schools and "to support artistic excellence within the symphony," according to a news release.
The largest of the grants, $263,750 from the Walton Family Foundation, was given in July for "education, artistic excellence and sustainability," according to the news release. The grant will support the symphony's ImagiMusic program, which serves about 800 students in Benton and Washington counties.
The grant will also support ImagiMusic workshops and help the symphony provide competitive pay for its musicians, according to the news release.
The Arkansas Arts Council in July awarded a $33,440 to the symphony for education, and the Walmart Foundation awarded $22,620 for quality of life in May, the news release stated. Both of those grants will also support the ImagiMusic program.
"We are extremely grateful for the continued support of these important funders as we enter an exciting phase of growth and development," Matthew Herren, the symphony's executive director, said in the news release. "Support for more in-depth education for teachers and students in area classrooms and excellence within our own organization help us increase our impact and ensure our longevity in the community that we're so privileged to serve."