National Endowment for the Arts Awards $2.7 Million to U.S. Theater Nonprofits

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa announced today that the NEA plans to award $74.85 million in 971 grants to nonprofit organizations nationwide as part of the second half of its fiscal year 2014 funding (including $2.7 million to U.S. theater and musical theater nonprofits). In addition to direct grants through the Art Works category, this round of funding also supports the state arts agencies and regional arts organizations - the NEA's partners in bringing the arts to all parts of the nation - as well as grants for research projects that build evidence on the value and impact of the arts.

For every dollar invested by the NEA, grantee organizations raise an additional $9 in support from other, non-federal sources. NEA Acting Chairman Shigekawa said, "We know that arts and culture play an important role in our nation's economy, with the most recent numbers showing the sector comprising more than 3.2 percent - or $504 billion - of GDP. The NEA is proud to support the nation's nonprofit organizations which are an integral part of the arts and cultural sector. These NEA-supported projects will not only have a positive impact on local economies, but will also provide opportunities for people of all ages to participate in the arts, help our communities to become more vibrant, and support our nation's artists as they contribute to our cultural landscape."

All of the NEA's grants undergo a rigorous independent review process by national panels of artists and other arts experts, followed by review of those recommendations by the National Council on the Arts, with final grant decisions by the NEA Acting Chairman.

ART WORKS GRANTS

The NEA's Art Works grants are the Arts Endowment's primary means of directly supporting the nation's nonprofit organizations and the work they do to bring the arts to communities throughout the country. Art Works grants support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence: public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and enhancement of the livability of communities through the arts.

-In August 2013, the NEA received 1,515 eligible grant applications, requesting more than $76 million total, of which 886 are recommended for a total of $25.8 million in funding.

-Of those 886 grants, 256 will have multi-state impact, through projects such as tours to multiple states by performing arts organizations.

STATE & REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP GRANTS

Forty percent of NEA's grantmaking funds are designated for state arts agencies, regional arts organizations, and national service organizations that support the work of the states and regions. In order to be eligible for NEA partnership agreement funds, each state and regional arts organization develops long-range plans that help to position arts and culture in public policy areas such as cultural tourism, community revitalization, economic development, education, and health and human services. Regional arts organizations encourage the development of the arts and support arts programs in multi-state regions and assist the NEA and other funders in distributing programs nationally.

-For FY 2014, the NEA recommends $48.7 million for these partners, including $39.8 million for state and territorial arts agencies and $8.2 million for the regional arts organizations.

-Each state and regional arts organization must match its NEA funding at least 1:1, to provide funding at the local level and throughout the states.

-Through the combination of the NEA's partnership agreement and state appropriations, the state arts agencies will support 21,000 arts projects in approximately 4,400 communities over and above the direct grants made by the Arts Endowment.

RESEARCH: ART WORKS GRANTS

The NEA's Research: Art Works grant category supports a range of research projects that build evidence on the value and impact of the arts, and foster partnerships and information-sharing among researchers. For the first time, these grants will support primary data collection alongside secondary data analysis. Many of the new projects will focus on the health and educational benefits of the arts.

-For FY 2014, the NEA recommends 21 grants totaling $330,000.

-Projects recommended for support include: a randomized, controlled trial that will test the impact of visual art on cancer patients in hospital rooms; a study that will evaluate the benefit of a theater-based therapeutic intervention for autistic adolescents and their caregivers; and a study to examine the health effects of music, dance, and visual art therapy on older adults in a long-term care facility.

Final reports from previous research grants look at how art clusters contribute to local economic development, how arts education relates to youth development, and more.

All of the grants included in this announcement may be viewed through a state-by-state listing or a discipline/field listing or via the NEA's online grant search system. The online grant search will allow members of the public to search all of the NEA's grants since 2000 using a variety of attributes to customize their results.

For information about the first round of FY 2014 Art Works grants, please visit the NEA's newsroom.

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at arts.gov.