The Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) has granted US$1.64m (£1.07m) in funding to artists and arts programmes across the state for the 2011 fiscal year.

The funding, which reflects a US$140,00 (£92,000) increase from the year before, was awarded in 46 counties, ranging from operating support for museums and community arts centre to small grants that assist schools with bringing in guest artists.

The grants will be awarded to 154 different organisations and schools and 87 individual artists.

Malcolm White, executive director of MAC, said: “It has been the agency’s strategic goal to steadily increase grant funds to better serve the non-profit arts sector, individual artists, arts education initiatives, and the creative workforce in Mississippi.

“Throughout recent years, the commission has succeeded in this seemingly impossible task. In spite of the local and global economic downturn, MAC has consistently and conservatively increased the grant programs from US$1 million in 2007, to US$1.1 million in 2008, to US$1.2 million in 2009, to US$1.5 million in 2010, and now US$1.64 million in 2011."

MAC is a state agency funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Phil Hardin Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson and other private sources.