OLYMPIA – Dec. 17, 2015 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission announces that its Folk and Traditional Arts in the Parks Program received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
Last week, the NEA announced awards totaling more than $27.6 million in its first funding round of fiscal year 2016. The Folk and Traditional Arts in the Parks Program was awarded a $20,000 grant in the NEA’s Art Works category. This category supports the creation of work and presentation of both new and existing work, lifelong learning in the arts and public engagement with the arts through 13 arts disciplines or fields.
The $20,000 NEA grant will help support State Parks’ Celebrating Cultures series of festivals and concerts, featuring performances from various ethnic groups in Washington state. The funding will also strengthen cultural identities and foster cross-cultural respect and appreciation. Among the programs the grant will support are Canoe Family celebrations for the Samish and Swinomish tribes at Deception Pass and the Chehalis, Nisqually and Puyallup tribes at Millersylvania; the American Roots Concert Series each July at Deception Pass; the International Concert Series each August at Peace Arch; the annual Cambodian Cultural Celebration at Saltwater; and Heritage Days at Sacajawea.
About NEA Grants
In its first 50 years, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awarded more than $5 billion in grants to recipients in every state and U.S. jurisdiction, the only arts funder in the nation to do so. For fiscal year 2016, the NEA awarded 32 grants to Washington state organizations for a total of $842,000. In this first round of fiscal year 2016, the NEA will award 996 grants totaling $26.4 million to organizations in 48 states, American Samoa, the District of Columbia and Guam.
For more information about the grants, visit: www.arts.gov/news/2015/27-million-awarded-arts-projects.
About the Folk and Traditional Arts in the Parks Program
The Folk and Traditional Arts in the Parks Program celebrates Washington’s diverse cultures. The program is a partnership of Washington State Parks and Northwest Heritage Resources, with funding provided by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Washington State Parks Foundation. For more information about the Folk and Traditional Arts in the Parks Program and upcoming events, contact Debbie Fant, Folk & Traditional Arts Program Coordinator, at Deborah.Fant@parks.wa.gov or 360-902-8635.
About Washington State Parks
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission manages more than 100 state parks and properties totaling approximately 120,000 acres. The Commission provides a variety of recreation opportunities for citizens and provides stewardship protection for a diverse array of natural, cultural and historic resources. State Parks’ statewide programs include long-distance trails, boating safety and winter recreation.
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