National Endowment for the Arts announces changes to grant programs
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will be changing the structure of their Grants for Arts Projects in January 2011. The Access to Artistic Excellence and Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth categories have been replaced with a new funding category called Art Works, which will embody the agency’s guiding principle: “Art works.”
Art Works will support these four outcomes:
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The creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence.
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Public engagement with diverse and excellent art.
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Lifelong learning in the arts.
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The strengthening of communities through the arts.
Applicants will be asked to select the outcome that is most relevant to their project and that reflects the results expected to be achieved by your project. Within these outcomes, innovative projects are encouraged.
Applicants who have been applying to Access to Artistic Excellence will now apply to Art Works. The two application deadlines are at the same times as in 2010 (March 10 and August 11, 2011). All types of projects supported in the past will continue to be eligible in Art Works.
Applicants who have been applying to Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth will now apply to Art Works though the Arts Education discipline. Applicants may apply to either the March 10 or August 11, 2011, application deadlines, but there is no longer a June deadline. The March deadline will be for community-based projects with start dates of January 1, 2012 or later, and the August deadline will be for school-based projects with start dates of June 1, 2012 or later.
Applicants who choose to apply for an official Consortium project in Art Works must apply for an innovative project. An official Consortium project represents a partnership of organizations that undertakes a shared project. In general, innovative projects are characterized as those that may prove transformative with the potential for meaningful change, are distinctive by offering fresh insights and new value for the field and/or the public through unconventional solutions, may be shared and/or emulated or lead to other innovations.
These changes will be officially posted in January.
