2009 Grant Awards: Access to Artistic Excellence

[ August 11, 2008 deadline ]

Dance | Design | Folk & Traditional Arts | Literature | Local Arts Agencies
Media Arts | Museums | Music | Musical Theater | Presenting | Theater
Visual Arts

Some details of the projects listed below are subject to change, contingent upon prior Endowment approval.

Literature

Academy of American Poets, Inc. (Consortium)
New York, NY
$55,000
To support National Poetry Month in 2010. In partnership with the National Council of Teachers of English, the Academy will sponsor outreach programs designed to encourage Americans to make poetry a larger part of their lives.

Association of Writers & Writing Programs (aka AWP)
Fairfax, VA
$65,000
To support the 2010 AWP conference in Denver; the production, printing, and distribution of The Writer's Chronicle; and the continued development of the AWP Web site, including the online AWP Job List.

Bard College (on behalf of Words Without Borders) (Consortium)
Annandale-Hudson, NY
$10,000
To support Words Without Borders' Walks Around the World: International Nature Writing Project, a reading/discussion tour of international writers whose work focuses on the natural world. In partnership with the Orion Society, the work of the participating writers will also be published online and in Orion magazine.

Bowery Arts and Science, Ltd.
New York, NY
$10,000
To support The World of Poetry, a monthly bilingual poetry reading series. The series features poetry read in its original language, and has previously featured poems in languages such as Hatian Creole, Russian, French, Chinese, Farsi, and Spanish, as well as American Sign Language.

Brooklyn Public Library (Consortium)
Brooklyn, NY
$10,000
To support the Brooklyn Independents literary series, presenting both emerging and established authors. In partnership with BOMB magazine, the library will promote and present free monthly events in the Dweck Center for Contemporary Culture, including readings, interviews, and discussions featuring authors from independent literary organizations.

Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens
San Clemente, CA
$5,000
To support the Casa Romantica Reading Series, featuring free monthly presentations by well-known poets and writers. Additional activities will include a Favorite Poem Project culminating in a reading by Robert Pinsky, as well as writing workshops for teens and adults.

Cave Canem Foundation, Inc. (aka Cave Canem)
New York, NY
$25,000
To support the annual week-long writing retreat. The writing residency will serve emerging African American poets, allowing them to create, refine, and perform their work.

Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (aka CLMP)
New York, NY
$50,000
To support technical assistance and capacity-building programs for large, mid-size, and small independent magazines and presses. Services and resources will include an interactive Web site offering access to media databases and virtual roundtable discussions, as well as workshops, one-on-one mentoring, and networking opportunities.

Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (aka CLMP) (Consortium)
New York, NY
$5,000
To support efforts to integrate the use of literary magazines into the MFA curriculum. In partnership with the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP), the Council will offer students half-price subscriptions to a selection of literary magazines and facilitate one-on-one online discussions between participating classes and magazine editors/publishers.

Daily Poetry Association (aka Poetry Daily)
Charlottesville, VA
$10,000
To support the weekly Poetry Daily e-mail newsletter and to support poet honoraria for the special Poets' Pick series. Poetry Daily encourages a general audience for poetry by bringing readers a poem each day and offering other news related to poetry and prose.

Eudora Welty Foundation, Inc.
Jackson, MS
$10,000
To support a resource kit for use in high school classrooms nationwide, including a DVD of rare footage of the late writer Eudora Welty reading her work, an interactive CD-ROM of photographs and papers donated by Welty, and a teaching guide. The film, produced in 1975 and never broadcast publicly, is being released in recognition of the 100th anniversary of Welty's birth.

Gemini Series, Inc. (aka Gemini Ink)
San Antonio, TX
$10,000
To support the University Without Walls program, a series of classes, workshops, readings, and special events for local writers and community members. Writing classes led by teachers and published authors are offered in poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.

Guild Complex (on behalf of The Institute for Latino Studies) (Consortium)
Chicago, IL
$5,000
To support Palabra Pura, a bilingual poetry series, as well as readings from The Wind Shifts: New Latino Poetry, a new anthology featuring emerging Latino poets. The Guild Complex and the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame will encourage audiences for Latino voices by featuring the work of Chicano, Nicaraguan, Guatemalan, Peruvian, and Puerto Rican poets.

Haleakala, Inc. (aka The Kitchen) (Consortium)
New York, NY
$10,000
To support a series of literary events showcasing small, alternative literary publications and the writers they publish. The Kitchen will continue its long-standing partnership with the journal Open City to promote and present the monthly series.

Heyday Institute (aka Heyday Books)
Berkeley, CA
$10,000
To support a literary tour featuring readings and discussions by authors from different California regions. Prominent authors will participate in free readings and discussions focusing on the state of California and theme of sense of place.

Hill-Stead Museum
Farmington, CT
$10,000
To support the Sunken Garden Poetry and Music Festival, a series of poetry and music performances on the grounds of the museum. The festival also features poetry competitions for adults and high school students and educational programming at nearby high schools.

Howard County Poetry and Literature Society, Inc.
Columbia, MD
$5,000
To support author residencies in Howard County, Maryland, including live poetry and literary events. Now celebrating its 35th anniversary, Howard County Poetry and Literature Society (known as HoCoPoLitSo) will also produce The Writing Life, an original television production featuring interviews with the visiting authors.

Hudson Review, Inc. (aka The Hudson Review) (Consortium)
New York, NY
$5,000
To support College Now, a free summer program for New York and New Jersey high school students. In partnership with the City University of New York, the journal will distribute the anthology, Writes of Passage: Coming-of-Age Stories and Memoirs from The Hudson Review to participating students for use in the classroom.

Hudson Valley Writers' Center, Inc.
Sleepy Hollow, NY
$5,000
To support the Literary Reading Series, featuring emerging and established writers of poetry and prose. The goals of the project are to develop new audiences, inspire writers and readers of all levels, and encourage the work of independent literary journals and presses.

Humanities Tennessee
Nashville, TN
$10,000
To support the 21st Annual Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, Tennessee. The multi-day literary festival will present more than 250 authors from around the nation, representing genres including fiction, history, mystery, food, biography, travel, poetry, and children's literature.

Inprint, Inc.
Houston, TX
$20,000
To support the Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading Series, which features readings and post-reading interviews with distinguished writers. Now in its 28th year, the project has brought more than 300  writers to Houston.

James River Writers
Richmond, VA
$5,000
To support Virginia Arts & Letters LIVE, an evening featuring literature and live readings by Virginia actors of short stories by Virginia authors. The event, which also features performances by local musicians, will be broadcast on public radio.

Just Buffalo Literary Center, Inc.
Buffalo, NY
$30,000
To support Babel, a literary arts initiative that brings renowned international writers to western New York for readings and related outreach activities. Among the activities planned for the 2009-10 season are a celebration of Marcel Proust and a program highlighting translated works.

Knox County, Tennessee (on behalf of Knox County Public Library)
Knoxville, TN
$5,000
To support the Sixth Annual Children's Festival of Reading at the Knox County Public Library. The free public event features children's authors, illustrators, and entertainers.

Kundiman, Inc.
New York, NY
$5,000
To support the Asian American Poetry Retreat, offering artistic and professional development for emerging Asian American poets. The multi-day retreat includes workshops, readings, lectures, and mentorship opportunities on the campus of the University of Virginia, Charlottesville.

Library Foundation of Hennepin County
Minnetonka, MN
$7,500
To support the Pen Pals Author Lecture Series, which presents nationally recognized authors in lectures and book signings.

Literary Arts, Inc.
Portland, OR
$10,000
To support the Oregon Book Awards & Author Tour. Winners and finalists will be presented during readings at libraries, bookstores, and community organizations throughout the state.

Loft, Inc. (aka The Loft Literary Center)
Minneapolis, MN
$45,000
To support the Minnesota Program for Writers, which offers classes, mentorship opportunities, and workshops for writers of all levels. Additional events include readings, book clubs, and other opportunities for community members to engage in a dialogue with a range of prose, poetry, young adult, and children's writers.

Log Cabin Literary Center, Inc. (aka The Cabin)
Boise, ID
$20,000
To support Readings and Conversations, a lecture and discussion series that brings nationally acclaimed literary figures to Boise. Each event typically includes an introduction to the author by a member of the community, a reading/presentation, a question-and-answer session, and a booksigning.

Maine Humanities Council
Portland, ME
$12,000
To support New Books, New Readers, a program that provides books and organizes discussion groups around the state for adults with low literacy skills. Trained coordinators oversee the discussions and use broad themes to connect literature to the lives of the participants.

Mercantile Library Association of the City of New York (aka Mercantile Library Center for Fiction)
New York, NY
$10,000
To support readings and discussions by new and established writers. Throughout the year, the library will present up to 60 readings, panels, and performances by distinguished authors.

Montana Committee for the Humanities (aka Humanities Montana)
Missoula, MT
$10,000
To support the Montana Festival of the Book. The three-day event will include readings, exhibits, signings, workshops, and panel discussions held in a variety of public venues.

National Book Foundation, Inc. (Consortium)
New York, NY
$20,000
To support BookUpNYC, a program encouraging middle school students to read for pleasure. Presented in partnership with the Children's Aid Society, the after-school program is led by published writers who model good reading behavior and help students explore new ideas of literature.

PEN American Center, Inc.
New York, NY
$40,000
To support the annual PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature. The cross-cultural festival will feature readings, performances, discussions, conversations, screenings, and music in both large-scale and intimate public venues.

PEN Center USA West (aka PEN USA)
Los Angeles, CA
$25,000
To support Freedom to Write, a series of programs reaching writers in underserved communities. The project includes PEN in the Classroom, which provides creative writing residencies for at-risk youth; Emerging Voices, a fellowship program for aspiring writers; and Writers' Toolbox, a series of discussions about the craft and business of writing.

PEN/Faulkner Foundation
Washington, DC
$25,000
To support the annual PEN/Faulkner Reading Series and the Writers in Schools Program. In addition to a series of readings held at public venues in Washington, DC, the foundation will bring writers to local high school classrooms, working with teachers to prepare them for the visit, and distributing resource materials and books to the participants.

Poetry Center of Chicago
Chicago, IL
$15,000
To support the organization's annual Reading Series and Hands on Stanzas, a poets-in-the-schools program. Hands on Stanzas places Chicago poets in public school classrooms throughout the city to teach students how to read, write, and discuss poetry.

Poetry Project, Limited (aka Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church)
New York, NY
$10,000
To support the Monday Night and Wednesday Night Reading Series, which present young, emerging poets and new poets and established literary figures respectively. These events allow poets to perform new work for a broad audience.

Poets & Writers, Inc.
New York, NY
$55,000
To support the publication of Poets & Writers Magazine and the expansion of the Poets & Writers Web site. Through the publication and Web site, the organization provides information for writers, including author profiles, articles on the business and craft of writing, interviews with publishing professionals, and a comprehensive listing of grants and awards.

Poets House, Inc.
New York, NY
$55,000
To support Can Poetry Save the Earth? From the Green Man to Ecopoetics, a series exploring the relationship between poetry and ecology. The series will include presentations by poets about other poets and poetic traditions, lectures and dialogues on the craft of poetry and poetic form, panel discussions, readings, and seminars.

Richard Hugo House
Seattle, WA
$25,000
To support New Voices, New Work: An Innovative Literary Community, a series of programs to encourage the creation of new work and introduce new writing to broader audiences. Key activities include the Hugo Literary Series, offering readings and panels surrounding new commissioned works; a New Ideas forum, encouraging discussion of current events and issues; and the Hugo Writers Fund, which provides space, technical assistance, and other resources to groups presenting literary events at the Richard Hugo House.

San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA
$15,000
To support the continued cataloguing and digitizing of audiotapes from the Poetry Center's American Poetry Archives. The center will record, catalogue, and make available parts of the 56 most significant audiotapes in its archive dating from 1954 to 1974.

Seattle Arts and Lectures, Inc. (Consortium)
Seattle, WA
$10,000
To support readings and conversations with distinguished poets, as well as intensive writing classes for youth and adults. In partnership with the Richard Hugo House, the organizations will present readings and engage selected poets from the series to conduct day-long poetry classes for both published and emerging writers.

Small Press Distribution, Inc. (Consortium)
Berkeley, CA
$40,000
To support the expanded distribution of independently published books to booksellers and librarians. In partnership with the American Booksellers Association, Small Press Distribution will extend its reach by attendance at book festivals and tradeshows in targeted regions, and through mailings to independent booksellers nationwide.

Storyville Center for the Spoken Word (aka The Moth)
New York, NY
$15,000
To support a series of storytelling events in New York City and in other areas of the U.S. Each show will feature both established and emerging writers who will share original narratives based on their life experiences.

Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, Inc.
New Orleans, LA
$10,000
To support the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival and the Saints and Sinners Literary Festival. Both festivals include a series of readings, literary panels, writing workshops, music and theater presentations, and education and outreach activities at local schools.

University of Arizona (on behalf of Poetry Center)
Tucson, AZ
$10,000
To support the Poetry Center Reading Series and the international Eco-Poetics Symposium. The Poetry Center's  free reading series will present established and emerging visiting writers, who will also participate in the symposium, for an in-depth conversation about poetry and the natural world.

University of Mississippi Main Campus
University, MS
$5,000
To support the annual Oxford Conference for the Book, which in 2010 will be dedicated to the Mississippi writer Barry Hannah. The free, three-day festival features panel sessions and workshops with authors, editors, agents, librarians, and booksellers.

University of Rochester
Rochester, NY
$15,000
To support the Reading the World Conversation Series, featuring international authors and their translators. The free series will enable residents of Rochester, New York, and surrounding areas to broaden their awareness of international literature, culture, and ideas.

University of Texas at Dallas (on behalf of Center for Translation Studies/American Literary Translation Association)
Dallas, TX
$35,000
To support professional development opportunities and publications for literary translators. Activities include the American Literary Translators Association conference, the publication of Translation Review and other materials, and the continued development of the Web site.

Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy (aka Virginia Folklife Program) (Consortium)
Charlottesville, VA
$10,000
To support the annual Virginia Festival of the Book, including free author readings, panel discussions, lectures, writing workshops, school visits, and youth conferences. In partnership with the Charlottesville City Schools, the festival also will offer adult education programs.

Woodland Pattern, Inc. (aka Woodland Pattern Book Center)
Milwaukee, WI
$15,000
To support a series of readings, exhibits, community workshops, book art exhibits, and art-making activities. Authors presented reflect a range of genres including fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, and come from a variety of cultural backgrounds.

Writers Room, Inc.
New York, NY
$10,000
To support affordable work space and other services for writers. The Writers Room is an urban writers' center in New York City, and welcomes both emerging and established writers of all literary genres.

Young Men's & Young Women's Hebrew Association (aka 92nd Street Y)
New York, NY
$55,000
To support the Unterberg Poetry Center's Main Reading Series, which features readings, literary tributes, and dialogues between writers and audiences about literary and related topics.

National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20506

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