The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has granted nearly $36.8 million in funding to arts organizations across the U.S., including over $1.5 million to 64 Texas institutions.
In a press release, NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, commented, “The NEA is proud to continue our nearly 60 years of supporting the efforts of organizations and artists that help to shape our country’s vibrant arts sector and communities of all types across our nation. It is inspiring to see the wide range of creative projects taking place — those that address our past and help us consider our future, integrate arts and culture in new ways into our lives and communities, and provide powerful opportunities for people throughout our nation to come together through a shared arts experience.”
Each year, the NEA provides funding through its Grants for Arts Projects (GAP), Challenge America, Research Grants in the Arts, and Literature Fellowship granting programs. GAP provides funds to support public engagement with the arts and arts education initiatives. Challenge America grants are awarded to small organizations whose proposed projects provide accessible art experiences to historically underserved communities. Research Grants are awarded to studies that investigate the value and impact of the arts. This year’s Literature fellowships include Creative Writing Fellowships for poetry and Translation Fellowships.
Visual art recipients of the GAP awards include Women & Their Work and the Mexic-Arte Museum in Austin, the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, the Galveston Arts Center, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and the Menil Collection in Houston, the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, and the City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture and the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center in San Antonio.
Women & Their Work released a statement noting that the $30,000 will support its 2025 solo exhibitions. Chris Cowden, the organization’s Executive Director, stated, “Women & Their Work is honored to receive support from the National Endowment for the Arts. This national recognition helps Women & Their Work continue to champion women and non-binary artists and the art they create.”
The Old Jail Art Center (OJAC) in Albany, the Art Museum of Southeast Texas in Beaumont, the Houston Family Arts Center, and the International Museum of Art and Science in McAllen have been awarded Challenge America grants. The OJAC released a statement noting that its $10,000 award will support the organization’s Cell Series, a solo exhibition series that offers artists an opportunity to exhibit in the museum’s repurposed historic jail structure.
Patrick Kelly, Executive Director of the OJAC commented, “An NEA Grant is a recognition of our creative innovation and professionalism in exhibition programming. As a result, it increases awareness of the museum and Albany which in turn promotes tourism and a positive impact on the local economy and cultural standing.”
Southern Methodist University in Dallas received a $50,000 research grant to support a study that explores issues related to equitable grantmaking by assessing data from the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council.
See the full list of the NEA 2025 grantees here and learn more about the organization’s granting programs via its website.