Lubbock Arts Alliance and the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts Host National Endowment for the Arts at Workshop for South Plains Nonprofit Arts Organizations

Arts and community groups learn more about NEA grant process

October 3, 2005

		Contact: Paulette Beete NEA 202-682-5570 beetep@arts.gov

Washington, D.C. – Representatives from the Lubbock Arts Alliance and the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts today hosted a special workshop conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for South Plains area nonprofit community arts organizations. The workshop was part of the agency's outreach to Texas arts organizations to inform them about federal arts funding opportunities and encourage them to apply for Arts Endowment grants.

"The Lubbock Arts Alliance is thrilled that the National Endowment for the Arts is coming to West Texas, and we are particularly proud that they have chosen to have a funding workshop in Lubbock, "said Elizabeth Regner, Executive Director of the Lubbock Arts Alliance. "Since this is the first time a workshop like this has been held in Lubbock, we are hopeful that it will lead to federal dollars being received for the arts organizations in our community."

At a press conference before the workshop, NEA Deputy Chairman for Grants and Awards Tony L. Chauveaux explained the purpose of the workshop. A native of the Texas Panhandle and a former Chairman of the Texas Commission on the Arts, Mr. Chauveaux cited the Endowment's commitment to rewarding excellence by local arts organizations with direct grants to communities, large and small.

"One of the primary goals of the NEA is to support excellence in the arts," said Mr. Chauveaux. "I know from my time as Chairman of the Texas Commission on the Arts that there are a lot of top-notch arts organizations here in the South Plains, and I'm delighted to be here today to encourage these local organizations to apply for Arts Endowment grants."

Executive Director Kathryn Oler and Board President Douglas Sanford represented the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts at the press conference. Bobbe Crawford, a former commissioner of the Texas Commission on the Arts, also participated. Other local civic and arts leaders were also in attendance.

The grants workshop was held in the Icehouse at the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts. Mr. Chauveaux led the free session, which included a discussion of federal opportunities for projects that:

• provide hands-on learning in the arts for children and youth (pre-K to Grade 12) in schools, arts organizations and community centers;
• help preserve cultural traditions through documentation, publications, exhibits, apprenticeships and conservation;
• provide access to the arts in underserved communities; and
• involve the creation or presentation of works of art, including performances, exhibitions, and festivals.

The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Endowment is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases.

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