FOLK & TRADITIONAL ARTS: Access to Artistic Excellence

Introduction

Access to Artistic Excellence encourages and supports artistic creativity, preserves our diverse cultural heritage, and makes the arts more widely available in communities throughout the country. While projects in this category may focus on just one of these areas, the Arts Endowment recognizes that many of the most effective projects encompass both artistic excellence and enhanced access. Support is available to organizations for projects that do one or more of the following:

• Provide opportunities for artists to create, refine, perform, and exhibit their work.
• Present artistic works of all cultures and periods.
• Preserve significant works of art and cultural traditions.
• Enable arts organizations and artists to expand and diversify their audiences.
• Provide opportunities for individuals to experience and participate in a wide range of art forms and activities.
• Enhance the effectiveness of arts organizations and artists.
• Employ the arts in strengthening communities.

The Arts Endowment is particularly interested in projects that extend the arts to underserved populations -- those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. This is achieved in part through the use of Challenge America: Reaching Every Community funds.

Please note: Congress has prohibited the Arts Endowment from making direct grants to individuals except for Literature Fellowships, NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships, NEA National Heritage Fellowships in the Folk & Traditional Arts, and National Endowment for the Arts Opera Honors.

Deadlines

Applications will be accepted under two deadlines: March 10, 2008, and August 11, 2008. The Access to Artistic Excellence category provides support for projects that include but are not limited to:

Presentation of Living Cultural Heritage
March 10, 2008, Application Deadline
January 1, 2009, Earliest Beginning Date for Arts Endowment Period of Support

Support for projects that present the folk and traditional arts through:

• Public performances.
• Exhibitions.
• Festivals.
• Workshops and demonstrations.
• Touring.
• Media such as film, video, radio, and the Internet.

Heritage, Preservation, and Services to the Field
August 11, 2008, Application Deadline
June 1, 2009, Earliest Beginning Date for Arts Endowment Period of Support

Support for the identification, documentation, preservation, and perpetuation of the folk and traditional arts through:

• Identification and documentation of artists and artistic resources.
• Conservation of archival material.
• Public programs that raise awareness of cultural heritage.
• Workshops, residencies, and apprenticeships.
• Conferences and gatherings of artists.
• Technical assistance and provision of cultural expertise to arts organizations.

Folk and Traditional Arts Infrastructure Support
August 11, 2008, Application Deadline
June 1, 2009, Earliest Beginning Date for Arts Endowment Period of Support

For projects that strengthen a state or region's infrastructure of support for the folk and traditional arts. This may include the creation of long-term organizational and community partnerships or support for no more than three years of professional folk arts positions.

Each state or region is limited to one application for folk and traditional arts infrastructure support. That request may be made under these Grants for Arts Projects guidelines (by organizations other than state arts agencies and regional arts organizations) or under the Arts Endowment's Partnership Agreements guidelines (by state arts agencies and regional arts organizations). Applications here must include letters from the relevant state arts agency(ies) or regional arts organization that:

• Reflect their support for and involvement in the project as the state or region's only application for this type of project.
• Demonstrate how the project will relate to the state or region's overall plan for the support of the arts.

Consult with your state arts agency or regional arts organization before preparing an application.

Application Review

This category uses the agency's traditional method of application review. Applications are submitted to the Folk & Traditional Arts staff and are reviewed by a diverse group of experts in the folk & traditional arts field.

Applications are reviewed on the basis of artistic excellence and artistic merit. For more detailed information on how artistic excellence and artistic merit will be evaluated, see the "Review Criteria." You can find additional information in the "Application Review" section of the "Frequently Asked Questions."

Contacts

Folk & Traditional Arts Specialist: mansfieldw@arts.gov or 202/682-5678, bergeyb@arts.gov or 682-5726

Outcomes

The Arts Endowment has identified five outcomes that it plans to achieve through Access to Artistic Excellence. Each applicant must select the one outcome listed below that is most relevant to its project and indicate this in its application:

1. Artists and arts organizations have opportunities to create, interpret, present, and perform artistic work.

2. Artistic works and cultural traditions are preserved.

3. Organizations enhance their ability to realize their artistic and public service goals.

4. Audiences throughout the nation have opportunities to experience a wide range of art forms and activities.

5. The arts contribute to the strengthening of communities.

If you wish to apply:

CFDA No. 45.024
OMB No. 3135-0112 Expires 11/30/2010
January 2008

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