Bayer Fund Awards Arts And Education Council $25,000

The Arts and Education Council announced today that the Bayer Fund has continued its support for the Bayer Fund Rural Community Arts Program with a $25,000 grant. Since establishing the partnership in 2007, the Arts and Education Council and Bayer Fund have provided more than $225,000 in grants to organizations in rural communities surrounding the St. Louis metropolitan area for arts and arts education programming.

"We are grateful that our partners at Bayer Fund continue to support the Arts and Education Council's goal of ensuring all people living in rural communities have access to rich arts and cultural experiences," said Cynthia A. Prost, Arts and Education Council president and CEO. "Bayer Fund Rural Community Arts Program grant recipients have told us that the program plays an integral role in providing collaboration among artists, educators, businesses and community leaders."

"Through its various programs and grants, the Arts and Education Council continues to meet the artistic needs of communities who would otherwise have limited or no access to the arts," said Al Mitchell, Bayer's Vice President of Corporate Engagement. "Thanks to their efforts, more adults and children are being exposed to new and exciting experiences that center around the arts."

2019-2020 Bayer Fund Rural Community Arts and Education grantees will be announced in the summer of 2020. Current grantees are: Arts Rolla (Rolla, Mo.), the Clinton County Showcase (Breese, Ill.), Sainte Genevieve Art Guild (Ste. Genevieve, Mo.), the Steelville Arts Council (Steelville, Mo.) and the Warren County Fine Arts Council (Warren County, Mo.).

Bayer Fund's renewed support for the rural community grants adds to its existing support for the Arts and Education Council through the Creative Impact Fund, a program established in 2017 to offer arts organizations grants of $1,000 to $5,000 for new projects with a demonstrated need in the community. Bayer, formerly Monsanto, is also a longtime sponsor of the Art Educator of the Year Award at the Arts and Education Council's St. Louis Arts Awards. Earlier this month, the Arts and Education Council honored Dr. Nikki Spotts of the St. Louis Public School District as the 2020 Art Educator of the Year, sponsored by Bayer.

For more information about the Arts and Education Council's grants and programs, visit KeepArtHappening.org.