National Endowment for the Arts: Art Works Grant for Diverse Arts Projects

To be eligible, the applicant organization must:

• Meet the Arts Endowment’s "Legal Requirements" including nonprofit, tax-exempt status at the time of application. (All organizations must apply directly on their own behalf. Applications through a fiscal agent are not allowed.)
• Have a three-year history of programming prior to the application deadline.
• Have submitted acceptable Final Report packages by the due date(s) for all Arts Endowment grant(s) previously received.

An organization whose primary purpose is to channel resources (financial, human, or other) to an affiliated organization is not eligible to apply if the affiliated organization submits its own application. The prohibition applies even if each organizations has its own 501(c)(3) status. For example, the “friends of ABC Museum” may not apply if the ABC Museum applies.

All applicants must have a DUNS number (www.dnb.com) and be registered with the Central Contractor Registration (CCR, www.ccr.gov) and maintain an active CCR registration until the application process is complete, and should a grant be made, throughout the life of the award.

The Arts Endowment’s support of a project may start on or after January 1, 2012.

Introduction

The NEA’s guiding principle is embodied in one sentence: “Art works.”

“Art works” is a noun; the creation of works of art by artists. “Art works” is a verb; art works on and within people to change and inspire them. “Art works” is a statement; arts jobs are real jobs that are part of the real economy.

Art Works encourages and supports the following four outcomes:

• Creation: The creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence,
• Engagement: Public engagement with diverse and excellent art,
• Learning: Lifelong learning in the arts, and
• Livability: The strengthening of communities through the arts.

Applicants will be asked to select the outcome that is most relevant to their projects (they also will be able to select a secondary outcome). When making selections, applicants should identify the outcome(s) that reflect the results expected to be achieved by their project. If a grant is received, grantees also will be asked to provide evidence of those results.

1. Creation: The portfolio of American art is expanded.

Support is available for projects to create art that meets the highest standards of excellence across a diverse spectrum of artistic disciplines and geographic locations. Through the creation of art, these projects are intended to replenish and rejuvenate America’s enduring cultural legacy. Creation activities may include:

• Commissioning, development, and production of new work.
• Design competitions and design or planning projects for new arts or cultural spaces or landscapes.
• Workshops and residencies for artists where the primary purpose is to create new art.
• Opportunities for writers and translators to create or refine their work.
• Projects that employ innovative forms of art-making and design.

The anticipated results for Creation projects are new works of art. If a grant is received, at the end of the project grantees will need to provide evidence of the new art works created. If the project activities do not lead to the creation of completed works of art within the period of a grant, grantees may demonstrate progress toward the creation of art by describing the artists’ participation and work accomplished by the end of the grant. Before applying, please review the reporting requirements for Creation.

2. Engagement: Americans throughout the nation experience art.

Support is available for projects that provide public engagement with artistic excellence across a diverse spectrum of artistic disciplines and geographic locations. These projects should engage the public directly with the arts, providing Americans with new opportunities to have profound and meaningful arts experiences. Engagement activities may include:

• Exhibitions, performances, concerts, and readings.
• Film screenings.
• Touring and outreach activities.
• Restaging of repertory and master works of historical significance.
• Art fairs and festivals.
• Documentation, preservation, and conservation of art work.
• Public programs that raise awareness of cultural heritage.
• Broadcasts or recordings through Web sites; live streaming, audio- and video-on-demand, podcasts, MP3 files, or other digital applications; television; and radio.
• Design charrettes.
• Publication, production, and promotion of digital, audio, or online publications; books; magazines; catalogues; and searchable information databases.
• Services to artists and arts organizations.
• Projects that extend the arts to underserved populations — those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability.
• Projects that employ innovative forms of art and design delivery.

The anticipated results for Engagement projects are direct experiences with the arts for the public. If a grant is received, at the end of the project grantees will need to describe the participants’ experiences as well as the composition of the participant group. If the nature of the project does not allow for the documentation of participants’ experiences explicitly, grantees may document the composition of the participant group and numbers of participants and activities, and describe the activities used to engage the public with art. Before applying, please review the reporting requirements for Engagement.

3. Learning: Americans of all ages acquire knowledge or skills in the arts.

Support is available for projects that provide Americans of all ages with arts learning opportunities across a diverse spectrum of artistic disciplines and geographic locations. These projects should focus on the acquisition of knowledge or skills in the arts, thereby building public capacity for lifelong participation in the arts. Learning activities may include:

• Lifelong learning activities for children, adults, and intergenerational groups.
• Standards-based arts education activities for K-12 students.
• Workshops and demonstrations.
• Mentorships and apprenticeship programs.
• Professional development for artists, teaching artists, teachers, and other educators.
• Assessments and evaluations of arts learning.
• Online courses or training.
• Lectures and symposia.
• Production, publication, and distribution of teachers’ guides.
• Innovative practices in arts learning for Americans of all ages.

The anticipated results for Learning projects are increases or improvements in the participants’ knowledge or skills in the arts. If a grant is received, at the end of the project grantees will need to describe the participants’ learning, the composition of the participant group, and the numbers of participants and activities, as well as the activities used to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge or skills in the arts. Grantees who receive support through the Arts Education discipline for standards-based projects will be required to report on additional measurable results, including identifying specific learning outcomes, describing the assessment method, and reporting on the number of participants who demonstrated learning. Before applying, please review the reporting requirements for Learning.

4. Livability: American communities are strengthened through the arts.

Support is available for projects that incorporate the arts and design into strategies to improve the livability of communities. Livability consists of a variety of factors that contribute to the quality of life in a community such as ample opportunities for social, civic, and cultural participation; education, employment, and safety; sustainability; affordable housing, ease of transportation, and access to public buildings and facilities; and an aesthetically pleasing environment. The arts can enhance livability by providing new avenues for expression and creativity. Arts- and design-related Livability activities may include:

• The development of plans for cultural and/or creative sector growth.
• The enhancement of public spaces through design or new art works.
• Arts or design activities that are intended to foster community interaction in public spaces.
• Cultural sustainability activities that contribute to community identity and sense of place.
• The engagement of artists, designers, and/or arts organizations in plans and processes to improve community livability and enhance the unique characteristics of a community.
• Innovative community-based partnerships that integrate the arts with livability efforts.

Please note that certain types of Livability activities will require applicants to provide information in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and/or the National Historic Preservation Act. See here for more information.

The anticipated long-term results for Livability projects are measurable community benefits, such as growth in overall levels of social and civic engagement; arts- or design-focused changes in policies, laws, and/or regulations; job and/or revenue growth for the community; and changes in in-and-out migration patterns. Given the nature of Livability projects, benefits are likely to emerge over time and may not be fully measureable during the period of a grant. If a grant is received, at the end of the project grantees will need to provide evidence of progress toward achieving improved livability as appropriate to the project. Reporting requirements for Livability are different from — and more extensive than — the reporting requirements for the other outcomes. Before applying, please review the reporting requirements for Livability.

Innovation

The NEA recognizes that arts and design organizations are often in the forefront of innovation in their work and strongly encourages innovation within the outcomes listed above. Innovative projects are characterized as those that:

• Are likely to prove transformative with the potential for meaningful change, whether in the development or enhancement of new or existing art forms, new approaches to the creation or presentation of art, or new ways of engaging the public with art;

• Are distinctive, offering fresh insights and new value for their fields and/or the public through unconventional solutions; and

• Have the potential to be shared and/or emulated, or are likely to lead to other innovations.

To provide new leadership in the area of innovation and to ensure that innovative ideas and formats for artistic expression are supported, the NEA is requiring that Consortium applications be for innovative projects (see “Application Limits/Consortium applications” for more information). Consortium applications must demonstrate how their projects meet the definition of innovation above.