Alaska's arts council is between directors as grant deadlines roll on

The Alaska State Council on the Arts is looking for a new executive director to lead the agency that steers state, federal and philanthropic arts funding across Alaska. The opening comes during what the agency calls a leadership transition, and it matters for how grant money reaches artists, tribal partners and rural communities off the road system. Applications are due 4:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21.

Andrea Noble is listed as executive director on the agency's staff page. The notice refers to a transition but doesn't state a reason for the opening. The Anchorage-based job runs the agency's statewide work and requires regular in-state travel, sometimes by small plane or ferry.

The search runs alongside the council's regular grant business. Artists and arts organizations have until Sept. 1 to apply for the first quarterly round of fiscal 2027 grants, and anyone wanting staff feedback on a draft has to submit it by Aug. 15. The round covers grants to individuals, including the Master Artist and Apprentice Grant, and grants to organizations, including a community arts development program the council aims partly at underserved areas. Funded work can't start before the month after the deadline and has to wrap by June 30.

The council runs the same cycle four times a year, with deadlines June 1, Sept. 1, Dec. 1 and March 1, and keeps a few programs open year-round, including the Harper Arts Touring Fund the Rasmuson Foundation established in 2002.

The cycle continues as lawmakers weigh a formal nod to the sector. Testifying in May on a bill to make the first Friday of October Alaska Arts and Culture Day, Rep. Carolyn Hall said the measure "will encourage celebration of the many artistic cultural treasures that bring economic prosperity, beauty, and meaning to Alaska communities."

Staff from the National Endowment for the Arts and the council will hold two free application workshops, no RSVP required. The Anchorage session runs 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. Aug. 13 at The Nave on Spenard Road, and the Wasilla session 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Aug. 14 at Valley Performing Arts' Fred Machetanz Theatre.