FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 15, 2012) — The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), an independent federal agency, recently announced $185,000 in grant awards to five Kentucky organizations to fund arts programming. Four of the nonprofit arts organizations also receive operational support from the Kentucky Arts Council through the Kentucky Arts Partnership program.
“I’m very pleased that these Kentucky organizations are able to provide valuable arts programming as a result of the NEA funding,” said Lori Meadows, executive director of the Kentucky Arts Council. “I congratulate them for being awarded these grants in an extremely competitive funding environment.”
The following NEA grants were approved for funding at the March National Council on the Arts meeting:
Appalshop Inc. (on behalf of Roadside Theater)
Whitesburg, Ky.
$35,000
To support the Wilderness Project, a year-long community cultural development residency that will culminate in the creation of a new play. The residency will explore the diverse cultural traditions of the historic Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail by giving voice to the stories of Native Americans; the descendants of African slaves; European indentured servants; and European explorers, land speculators and settlers.
Appalshop Inc.
Whitesburg, Ky.
$75,000
To support the “Thousand Kites” radio series and web platform for The Prison Poetry Workshop. Each one-hour radio program will focus on poetry composed by prisoners in jails across the country and will feature interviews, commentary, workshop recordings, and readings. Once completed, the radio series will be broadcast on approximately 80 stations.
Central Kentucky Youth Orchestras
Lexington, Ky.
$10,000
To support the Friends in Music program. Plans include youth orchestra members serving as mentors during the school year, teaching free weekly after-school string instrumental lessons to children from low income families at two public schools.
Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft
Louisville, Ky.
$39,000
To support Sin Fronteras (Without Borders): Building Community Connections Through Craft Art. An exhibit and community art education project targeted to Louisville’s Latino population, the project will include art-making workshops, lectures, artist residencies and an art exhibit.
Kentucky Shakespeare Festival Inc.
Louisville, Ky.
$10,000
To support the 53rd Shakespeare in Central Park festival. The festival will include productions of “Much Ado About Nothing,” “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” and “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” as well as the Camp Shakespeare summer youth program for children ages 4-18.
Pioneer School of Drama (aka Pioneer Playhouse)
Danville, Ky.
$15,000
To support the Northpoint Performance and Workshop Project, led by Executive Artistic Director Holly Henson in collaboration with playwright Elizabeth Orndorff and instructor Curt Tofteland. Located at Northpoint Education Center, a medium-security prison, the project will employ theater professionals (trained in working with the incarcerated) to stage a production of Steve Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” and present talk-back discussions and workshops to enhance communication and life skills.
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