INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Arts Commission on Thursday announced $60,000 in grants to 12 organizations that will have programs to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Each of the 12 selected organizations will receive $5,000 through the  U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission’s America250 grant initiative. The National Endowment for the Arts and the Indiana General Assembly are funding the one-time program. The grants were designed to connect participants with American history in anticipation of the nation’s milestone. A news release issued Thursday from the Indiana commission said the selection process for the program was highly competitive, with than 100 applications. The 12 selected programs, all to happen in 2026, were chosen to represent every Indiana region and cover a range of artistic disciplines. The City of Jeffersonville Public Arts Commission will use its $5,000 grant to host “From 1776 to Tomorrow: A Multi-Arts Journey” on the riverfront, with live performances and hands-on art activities. The programming will showcase American arts and culture spanning from the nation’s founding in 1776 through 2026. In Muncie, the Youth Symphony Orchestras of East Central Indiana will support a project titled A Musical Celebration of America’s 250th Birthday, performing four youth orchestra concerts to track the history of American music with a specific focus on the Revolutionary period and other significant historical eras. Other grant recipients include the Beachfront Dance School in Gary; Bloomington Early Music; the Indianapolis Men’s Chorus; and the LaGrange County Tourism Foundation in Shipshewana. The list of awarded organizations also features the Naptown African American Theatre Collective in Indianapolis; the Otwell Progress Committee; Perceptions Yoga, Mindfulness Art in North Vernon; and the Robert and Ellen Haan Museum of Indiana Art in Lafayette. The Sheldon Swope Art Museum in Terre Haute and the South Bend Venues Parks Arts Foundation were also selected for the $5,000 awards. Miah Michaelsen, executive director of the Indiana Arts Commission, said in a statement, “Arts and creativity have played a vital role in crafting our nation’s history and heritage and we look forward to marking this milestone through the projects supported by the America250 grant program. We thank the National Endowment for the Arts for this opportunity to celebrate the Semiquincentennial here in Indiana.” This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness. ...read more read less