The Guthrie County Arts Council has recently received a grant to expand their free programming to adults and children for the next year.

Council member Linda Roe says it felt like “Christmas in July” when they heard they were awarded a Capacity Building Grant of $5,000 from the Iowa Arts Council to go towards the expenses of hosting arts classes at their Art on State store in Guthrie Center, “The Guthrie County Arts Council had hosted some classes but a number of the classes, especially for adults, there was a fee to attend to pay for the supplies and reimburse the teachers for their time. Getting this grant allows us to be able to hold these things without any costs to the participants and we just feel like it is such a benefit to our different communities to be able to provide the ability to create and make art without any fees associated.”

Roe adds that the Council hopes to host one free adult and two children’s programs monthly at Art on State, or possibly in other towns and area schools, dependent on COVID-19 concerns. The Council already has upcoming free children’s events scheduled thanks to members’ donations. You can find their schedule here.