Amarillo Museum of Art Hosts National Endowment for the Arts at Workshop for Panhandle Nonprofit Arts Organizations

Arts and community groups learn more about NEA grant process

NEA also announces grants to two Panhandle arts organizations

EMBARGOED UNTIL
October 5, 2005

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

Washington, D.C. – The Amarillo Museum of Art today hosted a special workshop conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for nonprofit community arts organizations in the Panhandle. 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 Amarillo Museum of Art is most pleased to welcome the National Endowment for the Arts to the Panhandle. The museum was a recipient of an NEA Challenge America grant in the fall of 2004 in support of the Latin American Graphics exhibition." said Tom Toperzer, Director and Chief Curator of the Amarillo Museum of Art. "We look forward to the workshop and to learning more ways we can access national support of the arts in our Panhandle community."

At a press conference before the workshop, NEA Deputy Chairman for Grants and Awards Tony L. Chauveaux, a Panhandle native, explained the purpose of the workshop. Mr. Chauveaux also announced two newly awarded Access to Artistic Excellence grants to the Amarillo Symphony and to West Texas A&M University (WTAMU).

"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 Panhandle, and I'm delighted to be here today to award these two grants and to encourage other local organizations to apply for Arts Endowment support."

Nathan Newbrough, Executive Director of the Amarillo Symphony, and Dr. Sue Park, Dean of the WTAMU Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities, also participated in the press conference. Other local civic and arts leaders were also in attendance.

The grants workshop was held in the library at the Amarillo Museum of Art. 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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National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency
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