Schools and community groups have until Dec. 10 to apply for a Montana Arts Council grant that could bring a musician or traditional artist to students this spring. It is the last Montana music education grant 2026 deadline listed in the council’s FY27 guidelines.
The Montana Arts Council’s Arts Education Experiences grants run from $250 to $2,500, and no match is required. The current round covers projects between Feb. 1 and June 30, 2027. Applications are due Dec. 10, 2026, at 11:59 p.m., and the council plans to notify applicants Jan. 29, 2027.
What the Montana music education grant 2026 round pays for
The council says the grants are meant to bring arts experiences to places that otherwise would not have them. Money can go to:
- fees for a guest artist, in person or online, with or without hands-on learning,
- tools, supplies and small equipment for trying new art forms,
- transportation to see art or artists first hand, or
- a mix of those.
Music and Folk/Traditional are both listed as disciplines on the application.
Who can apply
Individuals can’t apply. The applicant has to be one of these:
- a K-12 public school,
- a Montana 501(c)(3) nonprofit in good standing with the Secretary of State,
- a tribal college or university arts program with ongoing outreach beyond campus, which must send a letter giving the program’s start date,
- a local chapter of a national tax-exempt group operating in Montana,
- a unit of government, or
- a public education institution.
The organization has to have been operating in Montana for at least a year before the project starts. Groups under a fiscal sponsor need to check with council staff.
That means public schools at Rocky Boy and Box Elder, and community organizations around the Hi-Line, could apply if they meet those rules. KHEW has not heard from any local school about plans to apply.
Rules to know before applying
The grant is competitive, and the council says there may not be enough money for every eligible request. Projects can’t be funded after the fact. An organization can get only one Experiences award and one Residencies award in the same fiscal year. A repeat project has to show a real change in focus, art form or audience.
Winners need a SAM UEI number from sam.gov before they can be paid. It’s free but can take several weeks. Guest artists must be paid in full by the last day of the project, and a final report is due 30 days after it ends.
The council recommends new applicants contact Monica Grable, arts education director, at (406) 444-6522 or Monica.Grable@mt.gov.
For school news closer to home, see KHEW’s Box Elder school notices.
