The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs has awarded more than $1.5 million in grants to support arts and cultural jobs, and programming in the humanities. In a news release, officials with the cultural affairs department said the grants will help the state’s arts, cultural and history sectors return and continue their recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. In all, 236 organizations and individuals from 70 Iowa communities were awarded the one-time grants, funded through the American Rescue Plan Act. The department received more than $4.1 million in requests to help support around 1,600 arts jobs, the release stated. The list of grant recipients announced Thursday includes individual artists, cultural centers, museums, local government and community groups, arts organizations, public libraries, historical societies, community theaters, and media production organizations, among others.