Thea Foundation Announces 2025/2026 Scholarship Winners and Details for 2026/2027
Thea Foundation is excited to announce the winners of the 2025/2026 scholarship competition. With no theme...
Learn More
Thea’s Art Closet
Thea’s Art Closet's community-leveraged direct funding approach adds concrete value to Arkansas’s limited arts education budgets. Through DonorsChoose, dollars are leveraged to fund teacher’s creative supply wish lists that enrich the classroom experience. Classrooms then are enriched with supplies like new paints, brushes, kilns, and clay, bringing a new energy and vibrancy to their classroom.
Follow Us
Program Description
To date, Thea’s Art Closet has given more than $3.1 million in art supplies to hundreds of underfunded schools across the state, making the arts accessible for students in high-poverty areas and to classrooms with little-to-no budget for art supplies and other creative materials. Teachers may apply for funding two projects per semester (four projects per school year).
Thea Foundation partners with DonorsChoose, an online fundraising platform where teachers may post projects they’d like to complete with their students but for which they don’t have the funds to purchase the supplies.
Rules and Regulations
Please thoroughly read the rules and regulations below before launching your project on DonorsChoose. A teacher is eligible to receive four Thea’s Art Closet grant per scholastic year, two during the first semester and two during the second semester. High school teachers are eligible for funding from Thea for up to $1,250 for a project valued at $2,500 or less. Middle school teachers are eligible for funding from Thea for up to $750 for a project valued at $1,500 or less. Elementary school teachers are eligible for funding from Thea for up to $500 for a project valued at $1,000 or less. Once you have created your project on DonorsChoose, email Nick Leopoulos at nick@theafoundation.org with a link to your project so that Thea Foundation may approve it. Only teachers at public schools in the state of Arkansas qualify for funding from Thea’s Art Closet. Multiple teachers in a singular school may apply. A teacher is eligible to receive four Thea’s Art Closet grant per scholastic year, two during the first semester and two during the second semester. High school grants are limited to arts instruction (studio and history) only. Middle school and elementary school grants can support both art-specific programming or the infusion of the arts into another subject. Elementary or middle school teachers requesting general classroom materials or support for cross-curricular projects must explain how the creative materials will be used in specific lessons. Projects should focus primarily on a fine arts discipline and demonstrate how the materials will benefit and reach as many students as possible across the grade levels they teach.
Thea’s Art Closet grants are paid out at one time through DonorsChoose.org, who will purchase and deliver the materials directly to the school. Thea’s Art Closet Funding may be used for electronic equipment if the tech is in support of teaching arts in the classroom (the request will be considered). If rejected for Thea Foundation funding, a teacher may still pursue funding through DonorsChoose.org. All projects must meet DonorsChoose.org qualifications, which may be found at www.donorschoose.org. If you have questions regarding your request for electronics or about your application in general, please contact Nick Leopoulos at nick@theafoundation.org or (501) 379-9512.
