The National Endowment for the Arts announces $27.3 million in Grants to Support the Arts

Two Delaware organizations will receive $55,000 in federal grants

Wilmington, Del. (January 28, 2020) – As the only funder in the country to support arts activities in all 50 states and five U.S. jurisdictions, the National Endowment for the Arts announced that two Delaware organizations, will receive $55,000 in federal grants. This is the first of two major grant announcements in fiscal year 2020 and includes two of the agency’s funding categories: Art Works and Challenge America to support projects by nonprofit organizations. Through these grants, the National Endowment for the Arts supports arts participation, and this year will include projects that celebrate the Women’s Suffrage Centennial.

“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support grants throughout the entire country that connect people through shared experiences and artistic expression,” said Arts Endowment Chairman Mary Anne Carter. “These projects provide access to the arts for people of all abilities and backgrounds in both urban centers and rural communities.”

OperaDelaware will receive an Art Works – Opera grant in the amount of $15,000 to support a new production of The Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach.

“We are humbled to receive this support from the NEA for a new production of Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann, which will serve as the cornerstone of our 75th anniversary festival,” said Brendan Cooke, General Director of OperaDelaware. “This year’s award will help to ensure that this is one of our most thrilling productions to date.”

The State Education Agency Directors of Education (SEADAE), Delaware will receive an Art Works – Arts Education grant in the amount of $40,000 to support its 2020 national conference, The Arts & Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): A Synergistic Pairing, at the University of Delaware and Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library from September 24-26, 2020.

“SEADAE is thrilled to have the opportunity to come to Delaware to host its’ national conference. Not only is the Brandywine Valley a place of wonder in the fall – a must-see destination for the East Coast – but Delaware has taken a lead nationally, in highlighting the importance of fostering the social and emotional competence of young learners and embracing socially responsible, trauma informed instruction. We anticipate the conference to be an immersive, life-affirming experience and are excited to engage with our collaborators in Delaware to investigate the importance of the intersection between the arts and social emotional learning,” said Dale Schmid, Visual & Performing Arts Coordinator, New Jersey Department of Education.

The next funding deadline for applications to the Grants for Arts Projects category is February 13, 2020. Note: Grant applications previously submitted to the Art Works category will now be submitted to the Grants for Arts Projects category. The next funding deadline for applications to Challenge America is April 9, 2020.

The full NEA grant descriptions follow:

Challenge America
Challenge America grants offer support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to populations that have limited access to the arts due to geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. Each grant is for a fixed amount of $10,000 and requires a minimum $10,000 cost share/match.

Art Works
Art Works grants support artistically excellent projects that celebrate our creativity and cultural heritage, invite mutual respect for differing beliefs and values, and enrich humanity. Cost share/matching grants range from $10,000 to $100,000.

About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. For more information, visit www.arts.gov.

About the Delaware Division of the Arts
The Delaware Division of the Arts is an agency of the State of Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Funding for Division programs is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.

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Contact: Leeann Wallett, Program Officer, Communications and Marketing
302-577-8280, leeann.wallett@delaware.gov

Image: Amleto, OperaDelaware, Joe del Tufo, Moonloop Photography