Nearly two years after most state funding of the arts was eliminated in Kansas, the state is starting to provide small grants to some arts groups.

The Wichita Eagle reports the state’s commerce department is expected to announce $58,400 in grants to eight groups across the state this week.

In 2011, Gov. Sam Brownback vetoed $700,000 of cultural arts funding, triggering the loss of about $1.2 million in national grants that depended on state investments in the arts.

The money was restored last year but the new Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission put much of its money into next year’s budget to show the National Endowment for the Arts it has money to match grants.

The creative arts industries commission plans to meet again Friday to discuss more grants.