The Barton Arts Council (BAC) recently made a $2,500 grant to the Barton Arts Movement through the Golden Belt Community Foundation to assist with the start-up costs for BAM.

Start-up expenses include a website, logo development and public relations, said BAM representative Andrea Bauer. BAM plans to coordinate a variety of murals and public art projects across Barton County.

Barton County already has a rich selection of community murals, most of which are nearly 20 years old, and BAM hopes to add to that collection, Bauer said when she gave a presentation to the BAC and requested funding. At the conclusion of the presentation, the Barton Arts Council member discussed the merits of the request and how it aligned with the mission of the council. The request for the $2,500 grant was unanimously approved.  

The BAC mission is to “strengthen, sustain, and enhance existing arts resources of every artistic discipline, both traditional and non-traditional, established and emerging, in response to the cultural needs of the people of Barton County ...”

The Barton Arts Council is partially supported as a recipient of the Bill McKown Memorial Endowment Fund and the Barton County Arts Endowment Fund which are facilitated through the Golden Belt Community Foundation. Current board members for the Barton Arts Council are Robert Feldt, Karen Kline-Martin, Scott Beahm, Christina Lamoureaux, Mark Webster, David Barnes and Chet Cale.