These NEA awards come through several competitive funding programs including Grants in the Arts, Challenge America, Research Grants in the Arts, and Research Labs. The funding decisions were informed by peer review by more than 340 panelists and the recommendations of the National Council on the Arts to the NEA Chair.
New York, New York
$20,000 (Grants for Arts Projects – Film & Media Arts)
To support staff salaries for the Margaret Mead Film Festival and related public programming. The festival will feature nonfiction films representing diverse perspectives on American culture and serve as a public forum exploring the art of documentary and ethnographic film. Select films will be accompanied by artist presentations, panel discussions, and filmmaker-led workshops. Intended Beneficiaries: The festival will serve public audiences, including New York City residents and visitors, students, industry professionals, and filmmakers. Intended Outcome: Beneficiaries access arts activities and programming.
Anchorage, Alaska
$30,000 (Grants for Arts Projects – Design)
To support a community-driven design project in Anchorage, Alaska. Working with a wide range of community groups, local design organizations, and university partners, the Anchorage Museum will conduct research and develop concepts for possible design changes in the Anchorage neighborhoods of Fairview and East Downtown. The project will engage local residents through a series of public meetings and a design festival, exploring ideas for neighborhood revitalization in the face of climate change and long-running hardship caused by highway infrastructure that bisects the community. Intended Beneficiaries: The project will benefit residents of Fairview and East Downtown in Anchorage, Alaska. Intended Outcome: Communities are strengthened through system-wide initiatives integrated with the arts.
Boston, Massachusetts
$15,000 (Grants for Arts Projects – Museums)
To support the Lullaby Project, an initiative that strengthens the parent/child bond through music. Originally created by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, the Lullaby Project pairs parents and caregivers with artists to co-write and sing lullabies for their babies. Boston Children’s Museum will partner with local musicians, venues, and social service agencies to engage participants in healthcare settings, homeless shelters, and other community organizations in music-making experiences that positively impact their lives and relationships with their young children. The initiative encourages maternal emotional well-being, stimulates child development, and fortifies the parent/child bond. Intended Beneficiaries: The program serves participating artists, children, and parents and caregivers in Boston. Intended Outcome: Communities are strengthened through system-wide initiatives integrated with the arts.
Allentown, Pennsylvania
$10,000 (Challenge America)
To support a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and dance program for middle school students. The dance education program will use the STEM From Dance curriculum to teach both dance and STEM concepts. The classes will work towards the creation of original dance performances that incorporate technology such as LED lights in props or costumes and/or video animations. The program will culminate in a performance for family and friends. Intended Beneficiaries: The program will focus on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) youth in Allentown, Pennslyvania. Intended Outcome: Beneficiaries acquire knowledge and skills in the arts.
Discovery Museum
Acton, Massachusetts
$10,000 (Challenge America)
To support free Especially for Me arts events featuring artists with disabilities. The museum will offer dedicated hours to families that have children with disabilities, capping attendance and maintaining a crowd-free environment. One or more artists with disabilities will be engaged to lead an interactive program for attendees. Each event will include American Sign Language interpretation and other resources and accommodations to support the children’s needs. Intended Beneficiaries: The program will serve children with disabilities and their families in the Boston area. Intended Outcome: Beneficiaries access arts activities and programming.
McAllen, Texas
$10,000 (Challenge America)
To support a free exhibition of Mexican and Latin American folk art. The exhibition will showcase a selection of the museum’s extensive Mexican and Latin American folk art collection to reach audiences throughout the United States. All exhibition content, curatorial texts, marketing materials, and publications will be available in Spanish and English. Intended Beneficiaries: The program will serve Spanish-speaking communities in the U.S. and general audiences. Intended Outcome: Beneficiaries access arts activities and programming.
New Orleans, Louisiana
$15,000 (Grants for Arts Projects – Folk & Traditional Arts)
To support the Family Folklife project, which will preserve and celebrate the folk heritage of New Orleans’ youth. Louisiana Children’s Museum will host seasonal folklife activities and collect documentation of children’s folk heritage—such as their family stories, songs, recipes, and holiday celebrations—to preserve for future generations. During Family Folklife Day, children and their families will have the opportunity to interact with culture bearers representing various New Orleans communities and learn how to document their own family traditions at home. Project activities will uplift the idea that a child’s first culture starts with the family, and that family lore, stories, and traditions are worth documenting, examining, and continuing in new ways. Intended Beneficiaries: The project will benefit children and their families in the greater New Orleans area. Intended Outcome: Beneficiaries acquire knowledge and skills in the arts.
Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States.