 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
| PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ellicott City, MD- On August 30, The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced the awarding of $1.47 million in grants for the Endowment's Challenge America: Community Arts Development program, designed to support projects that use the arts to encourage the growth of their communities and build partnerships between arts and non-arts organizations. A total of $35,000 went to four Maryland organizations representing the lower eastern shore, southern, central, and western Maryland. Working with the cities of Cumberland and Frostburg, the Allegany Arts Council, Inc. will use their grant to develop a brochure marketing the county's recently created arts and cultural districts to tourists, artists and arts businesses. In another arts revitalization project, the Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council will partner with Urban Salisbury, Inc., the City of Salisbury, the Community Players of Salisbury and the Charles H. Chipman Cultural Center to design a cultural arts center that will provide the only performance venue in downtown Salisbury. On the other side of the Chesapeake, grantee St. Mary's County Public School will use the technology of the Internet to promote the arts to a wider community audience. The website, which will feature the newly established Superintendent's Art Gallery that represents artwork from each of the schools in the county, is being developed in partnership with the St. Mary's County Arts Council, North End Art Gallery, Chancellor's Run Senior Center, St. Mary's College and St. Mary's County Board of Education. Also trying to maximize the impact of their services, the Howard County Arts Council, Inc. will use their grant to assess the impact of their 1992 ten-year plan for the arts, Arts Vision 2001, updating it to meet the changing needs of the county. Earlier this summer, organizations from Baltimore City and Somerset County were awarded a total of $20,000 from another one of the Endowment's Challenge America programs, Positive Alternatives for Youth, featuring new "fast-track" or quick turnaround grants. The Mayor's Advisory Committee on Art and Culture will use their grant to support an after-school art program serving south Baltimore youth from 3 local elementary schools, run with School 33 Arts Center. The Somerset County Local Management Board grant will support the participation of local artists in its FUN-mobile, a mobile after-school enrichment program designed to meet the needs of a rural community. The funding for all NEA Challenge America initiatives originated with last year's $7million increase for the NEA, the first increase since 1992. Another increase could be on its way. By the end of July, both the House and Senate had passed amendments proposing a $115 million appropriation for the NEA in fiscal year 2002, a $10 million addition to the $105 million NEA budget proposed by the Bush Administration. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), who is also in line for an increase in FY2002, announced over $20 million in new grants in July, with $560,000 going to Maryland organizations. Among the recipients were The Baltimore Museum of Art, who received $206,126 for the implementation of a traveling exhibit and supporting programs for its collection of Renaissance and Baroque prints; the Montgomery County Historical Society, who received $5,000 to support preservation programs for textile collections; and the University of Maryland, College Park, who received $185,666 for a six-week national institute on the relation of the arts and cognitive processes for teachers in higher education. The College of Notre Dame of Maryland, Community College of Baltimore County and Prince George's Community College also received grants. This summer it was also announced that Maryland-based folklorist and Tennessee-native, Joseph Wilson, Executive Director of the National Council for the Traditional Arts in Silver Spring for 25 years, will receive the Bess Lomax Hawes award, named for the founder of the National Heritage Fellowship Program and bestowed by the NEA in recognition of service to the field. Mr. Wilson, who has organized nearly 40 folk festivals and provides assistance to Maryland organizations including the Bluebird Blues Project and the Montgomery County International Festival, will accept his fellowship award at a public ceremony on September 21 in Washington, D.C. For More Information: Arts
Endowment Awards $1.7 Million To Support Partnerships Serving Young People National
Endowment for the Humanities Announces $20.9 million in new grants Arts
Endowment Announces 2001 National Heritage Fellowships National
Heritage Awards Concert and Celebration ### |
