FRANKFORT, Ky. – National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funds have been granted to 27 Kentucky non-profit arts organizations through the Kentucky Arts Council, the Southern Arts Federation and directly from the NEA as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The $664,276 will preserve jobs in Kentucky that are threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn.
There were 76 applicant organizations requesting $1.2 million in funds.
"We were fortunate to have a little over $300,000 in resources from the NEA to fund the 18 organizations that demonstrated the strongest need and best plan to sustain jobs or pay for artists' fees,” said Lori Meadows, executive director of the Kentucky Arts Council.
The Kentucky Arts Council awarded ARRA grants to the following organizations:
Behringer-Crawford Museum
Covington
$20,000
Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington
Covington
$8,943
Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft
Louisville
$20,000
Kentucky Music Hall of Fame & Museum
Renfro Valley
$20,000
Kentucky Opera Association
Louisville
$20,000
Kentucky Repertory Theatre
Horse Cave
$10,000
Kentucky Theatre Association
Lexington
$7,200
Living Arts & Science Center
Lexington
$20,000
Louisville Theatrical Association
Louisville
$20,000
Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center
Paducah
$20,000
Mayfield/Graves County Art Guild
Mayfield
$12,000
Montgomery County Council for the Arts
Mt. Sterling
$20,000
Mountain Arts Center
Prestonsburg
$20,000
Music Institute of Lexington
Lexington
$20,000
Owensboro Symphony Orchestra
Owensboro
$18,633
Paramount Arts Center
Ashland
$20,000
Public Theatre of Kentucky
Bowling Green
$20,000
Walden Theatre Corporation
Louisville
$10,000
TOTAL (KAC) $306,776
The Kentucky Arts Council is a state agency in the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet that creates opportunities for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Southern Arts Federation awarded ARRA grants to the following Kentucky organizations:
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Louisville
$20,000
Paducah Symphony
Paducah
$20,000
Pennyroyal Arts Council
Hopkinsville
$17,500
TOTAL (SAF) $57,500
The Southern Arts Federation has been awarded $547,500 in Recovery Act funding which will be used to preserve jobs in the arts in a nine-state region. SAF has distributed this funding for regranting through the state arts agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. In the nine states that make up the Southern Arts Federation region, all of the ARRA funds coming directly from the National Endowment for the Arts, from state arts agencies, from local arts council regranting, and from regionals like SAF total $8,130,300.
The Southern Arts Federation, a non-profit regional arts organization founded in 1975, creates partnerships and collaborations; assists in the development of artists, arts professionals and arts organizations; presents, promotes and produces Southern arts and cultural programming; and advocates for the arts and arts education. The organization works in partnership with the state arts agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. It is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, member states, foundations, businesses and individuals.
The National Endowment for the Arts awarded ARRA grants to the following Kentucky organizations:
Appalachian Heritage Alliance
Campton
$25,000
Appalshop
Whitesburg
$50,000
Louisville Ballet
Louisville
$50,000
Lexington Children's Theatre
Lexington
$50,000
Louisville Orchestra
Louisville
$50,000
Morehead State University
Morehead
$25,000
University of Kentucky Research Foundation
Lexington
$50,000
TOTAL (NEA): $300,000
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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