National Endowment for the Arts Announces Challenge America Fast-Track Grants

March 2, 2007

		Contact: Victoria Hutter, NEA 202-682-5692 hutterv@arts.gov

Washington, D.C. -- The National Endowment for the Arts announces grant awards totaling $1,360,000 through the Challenge America Reaching Every Community Fast-track grant program. Bringing the arts to all Americans is a significant part of the NEA's mission and this program is integral to that effort. One hundred thirty-six grants of $10,000 each will be given to primarily small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations -- those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability.

Many projects emphasize the potential of the arts to help strengthen communities through cultural tourism, neighborhood enhancements, festivals, cultural plan feasibility studies, and design competitions. In addition, projects often feature partnerships between arts organizations and other cultural, educational, or civic organizations.

Finally, this program has an expedited application review so that applicants are notified whether they have been recommended for a grant approximately six months after they apply, as opposed to the regular nine-month review process.

National Endowment for the Arts Deputy Chairman for Grants and Awards Tony Chauveaux said, "Providing broad access to the arts is key to the NEA's work. This program provides opportunities for people in communities as diverse as Aliceville, Alabama and San Francisco, California to participate in arts events."

Some of this year's Challenge America: Reaching Every Community Fast-track projects are:

Great Falls Symphony Association, Inc.
Great Falls, Montana
To support the Orchestra Residencies Program with violinist Midori. Residency activities include performances and workshops with both the Great Falls Symphony and the Great Falls Regional Youth Orchestra.

Appalachian Heritage Alliance, Inc.
Campton, Kentucky
To support the Appalachian Circuit Writers. Kentucky authors will conduct readings of their work and provide writers' workshops at selected libraries in Eastern Kentucky.

Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation
Columbia, South Carolina
To support the South Carolina Design Summit. The symposium will be led by Joseph P. Riley, Mayor of Charleston, and feature nationally recognized community design professionals.

Please see the complete listing of Challenge America Fast-Track Grants.

For more information, contact the NEA Office of Communication at 202-682-5570 or visit www.arts.gov.

Return to News Index

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