The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced the launch of ArtsHERE, a new pilot program whose goal is to increase access to arts participation nationwide. The program is a partnership with South Arts produced in collaboration with five other U.S. regional arts organizations. The NEA has revealed 112 nonprofit organizations recommended for non-matching grants of various amounts, totaling $12,356,000.
“The National Endowment for the Arts is thrilled to provide resources to a group of exceptional organizations through ArtsHERE, a program to help deepen meaningful and lasting arts engagement in underserved communities,” said NEA chair Maria Rosario Jackson in a statement. “Everyone should be able to live an artful life, and ArtsHERE is an important step in ensuring we are strengthening our nation’s arts ecosystem to make this a reality.”
The $12 million will fund specific projects that focus on increasing and sustaining community engagement and arts participation for underserved groups, communities and individuals historically excluded from arts access.
Organizations recommended for grants represent all 50 states, Washington D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The recommended recipients range in scope from Juneau Alaska Music Matters, a tuition-free music program dedicated to preserving the Lingít language, to Mahogany Black Arts and Cultural Center, which preserves, researches and exhibits Black cultural history in Racine, Wisconsin.
“We are very excited to work with these organizations on their projects,” said Susie Surkamer, president and CEO of South Arts. “The arts are essential to the fabric of our nation, and at the heart of this necessity are the organizations and individuals who champion them. Through ArtsHERE, we are excited to continue expanding and enriching the arts landscape both nationally and within these unique local communities.”
In addition to monetary awards, grant recipients will take part in peer-learning workshops, monthly cohort sessions and one-on-one meetings with experts in their respective disciplines.
ArtsHERE’s progress will be tracked and evaluated by the NEA in its inaugural year to assess the program’s effectiveness and to make recommendations for the future.
The 112 recommended recipients were culled from 4,000 organizations that applied for ArtsHERE funding.
