The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced the second round of its fiscal year 2024 grantees in the following funding categories: Grants for the Arts Projects, Our Town, and State and Regional Partnerships. Among the recipients are 50 Texas arts organizations, including Glasstire.
Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) is the NEA’s largest program for organizations and accounts for the majority of the grants received by Texas arts spaces. It provides grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 directly to organizations, while arts agencies that are eligible to subgrant funds may request between $30,000 and $150,000. GAP supports a wide range of projects including opportunities for public engagement with the arts and arts education, the integration of the arts with strategies promoting health and well-being, and capacity building within the arts field.
Carl Cheng / John Doe Co., “Early Warning System,” 1969–2023, fabricated plastic, electronics, projector mechanism, radio, wheat, wood. Courtesy the artist and Philip Martin Gallery. Photo: Jeff McLane
Some of the organizations that received funding through this grant program include The Contemporary Austin, in support of an exhibition and catalog on the works of Carl Cheng; MINDPOP, supporting professional development for emerging and practicing teaching artists; Art League Houston, for a summer studio art program for youth; Lawndale, for its artist-in-residence program; The Contemporary at Blue Star, to support exhibitions and public programs; and Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, to support public programs focused on preserving the art and culture of San Antonio’s Westside neighborhood. Local art agencies that have received GAP funding include Creative Waco, in support of a workforce development program for youth; the City of Mansfield, for the commissioning and installation of public art; and the City of Austin, to support an artist-led community engagement project.
Our Town is NEA’s creative placemaking grants program. While last year three Texas projects received funding, this year there are no Texas grantees. Earlier this month, NEA released the Our Town grant guidelines for 2025. This grant requires a partnership between a nonprofit organization and a local government entity. The application is a two-part process and the first deadline to be considered for 2025 is August 1, 2024. Notable 2024 Our Town awardees include the Chilkoot Indian Association in Haines, Alaska, in support of community gatherings and co-created public art to heal generational trauma in the Tlingit community; Living Streets Alliance in Tucson, Arizona, to create a series of traffic-calming interventions and community activities; and Rebuild Bay County in Panama City, Florida, supporting a community archiving project.
Texas Commission on the Arts is the only Texas organization to receive the State and Regional Partnerships grant. It has been awarded $1,377,000 to support arts programs, services, and activities.
See the full list of grantees and read about their projects via the NEA website.
