New NEA Pilot Program Aimed at Expanding Arts Access Names $12.4 M. in Grants to 112 Nonprofits

The National Endowment for the Arts has announced the 112 nonprofit organizations that will receive a total of $12.4 million in grants as part of a new pilot program called ArtsHERE that aims to expand access to the arts.

Each of the 112 nonprofits will receive grants between $65,000 to $130,00 for projects that sustain meaningful community engagement and increase participation for underserved groups and communities. The winning organizations were selected from a pool of over 4,000 applications. The NEA will offer the organizations peer-learning and technical assistance opportunities, as well as create a report based on the program.

Among the winning organizations are JAMM in Alaska, which received $105,610 to create music-based Lingít language instruction; the Mahogany Black Arts & Cultural Center in Wisconsin, which was awarded $130,000 to preserve Black cultural history through an oral histories project; the Special Needs Support Center in Vermont, which received $95,300 to help arts organizations in the area create more inclusive spaces for people with disabilities; and Taller Comunidad la Goyco in San Juan, which got $70,000 to enhance monthly community fairs via free arts experiences connected with health and environmental issues. (The full list of grant recipients is accessible on the NEA website.)

“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,” NEA chair Maria Rosario Jackson said 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 NEA has launched ArtsHERE, in collaboration with the United States Regional Arts Organizations (USRAOs), comprised of six nonprofits—Arts Midwest, Mid-America ArtsAlliance, Mid Atlantic Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts, South Arts, and WesternStates Arts Federation—that are “committed to strengthening America’s infrastructure by increasing access to creativity for all Americans,” according to a release. ArtsHERE is managed by South Arts.

Additionally, grant recipients will participate in quarterly peer learning workshops, monthly cohort sessions, and one-on-one meetings with technical assistance coaches and field experts to share knowledge and reinforce opportunities across multiple sectors. The NEA will then evaluate the program participants, which will impact future funding.

The pilot program was spurred by a 2017 survey of public arts participation that found historically underserved groups and communities continued to report lower arts participation rates compared to other groups nationwide. These disparities were largely influenced by such factors as geography, race and ethnicity, economics, and disabilities.

ArtsHERE was formed in response to President Biden’s executive order for a government-wide effort to advance equity for all Americans.

“We are very excited to work with these organizations on their projects,” Susie Surkamer, president and CEO of South Arts, said in a statement. “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.”