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National Endowment for the Arts NEWS

Literary Reading in Dramatic Decline, According to National Endowment for the Arts Survey
Fewer Than Half of American Adults Now Read Literature
“Literary reading is in dramatic decline with fewer than half of American adults now reading literature, according to a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) survey released today. Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America reports drops in all groups studied, with the steepest rate of decline - 28 percent - occurring in the youngest age groups. The study also documents an overall decline of 10 percentage points in literary readers from 1982 to 2002, representing a loss of 20 million potential readers. The rate of decline is increasing and, according to the survey, has nearly tripled in the last decade.” – posted 7/8/04

National Endowment for the Arts Releases Details of Latest Arts Participation Survey
“The NEA released further details of its latest arts participation survey, which measures participation in arts activities through attendance at live events, consumption of arts-related media, and personal participation in various art forms. The new survey shows that, despite the impact of September 11th on travel and other plans, Americans continued regular attendance at arts events in the 12-month period ending in August 2002. Almost 40 percent of adults in the U.S., or 81 million people, attended at least one arts activity during the year, up from 76 million in the previous NEA poll conducted in 1992.” – posted 4/27/04

DUNS Number Required for Federal Grant Applicants (external link)
National Endowment for the Arts
“As of October 1, 2003, institutional applicants for federal grants are required to provide a DUNS number as part of their applications. The NEA has added a DUNS FAQ on its web site at http://www.arts.gov/grants/apply/DUNS.html to help organizations understand the new policy and how to register for a DUNS number. … Registration is as simple as making a toll-free call and answering a few basic questions. There is no cost involved in getting a DUNS number.”

New report: Consumer Spending on Performing Arts 2005 (external link)
National Endowment for the Arts
"The National Endowment for the Arts' Research & Analysis division announces its most recent publication, Note #91 on consumer spending on the performing arts and certain other leisure activities in 2005. Consumer expenditures on arts performances reached $12.7 billion, but when adjusted for inflation, year-over-year spending held steady. For other spectator events, inflation-adjusted ('real') spending declined from 2004 levels." – posted 9/8/06

National Endowment for the Arts GRANTS

Upcoming NEA Deadlines (external link)

Past NEA Grants to Wisconsin (external link)

National Endowment for the Arts Announces Participating Theater Companies for 2006-2007 Shakespeare for a New Generation Program (external link)
National Endowment for the Arts
WASHINGTON, DC – “The National Endowment for the Arts today announced 36 theater companies participating for 2006-2007 in its acclaimed Shakespeare for a New Generation program. Shakespeare for a New Generation, part of the Arts Endowment's Shakespeare in American Communities tour, specifically targets middle and high school students. Each of the participating companies will receive $25,000 for a total federal investment of $900,000. Arts Midwest, a regional arts organization based in Minneapolis, is managing the program.” The Wisconsin Arts Board congratulates American Players Theater and Milwaukee Shakespeare for being selected to participate! – posted 5/5/06

The Wisconsin Arts Board congratulations Wisconsin recipients of NEA grants! (external link)
National Endowment for the Arts
Washington, D.C. – “The National Endowment for the Arts announced it will award more than $63 million in grants to arts organizations nationwide in its second major round of funding for fiscal year 2006.” – posted 4/30/06

Wisconsin Artist Awarded a 2003 National Heritage Fellowship (external link)
The Wisconsin Arts Board is delighted that Ron Poast, a traditional artist who we have recognized for a long time as a Wisconsin treasure has been honored with a National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts. Because of his artistry and skill, Ron Poast has been honored numerous times but he remains a quiet and unassuming family man from the small town of Black Earth, Wisconsin. We congratulate him on receiving the National Heritage Fellowship and wish him well and much success in his artistic endeavors. – posted 6/25/03

Americans for the Arts

Congressional Arts Report Card – Full Report
Americans for the Arts Action Fund
“Americans for the Arts Action Fund has produced a Congressional Arts Report Card for the U.S. House of Representatives, assigning each Member a letter grade and numerical score based on his or her record on numerous arts and arts education policy issues. Each state and region received an average score. The Congressional Arts Report Card includes a detailed voting record on the arts for each Member. We did not issue a report card for the Senate because it has taken no arts-specific votes in several years.” – posted 11/8/04

Americans for the Arts national conference
in Milwaukee a success! (external link)
Americans for the Arts
“Americans for the Arts held its annual convention—the largest gathering of local and state arts leaders in the nation—in Milwaukee, WI, June 3-5. The convention, entitled Living Cultural Democracy: Arts In Changing Communities, focused on the arts' role in communities that are being transformed by shifting demographics. It was a highly successful event.” – posted 6/9/06

New Federal Resource Guides from Americans for the Arts
(external link)
Americans for the Arts
“Americans for the Arts has published a series of six federal resource guides, designed to assist local arts organizations in exploring nontraditional avenues of federal funding. While traditional grant programs for federal funding of the arts are available through the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), these resource guides provide innovative ideas and recommendations on other possible sources of funding.” – posted 8/22/06

Federal: Important Tax Legislation Benefits Artists. Urge Your Representative to Support the Artist Deduction Bill (external link)
Americans for the Arts
"Congress has approved a large tax measure that did not include any of the provisions of specific interest to the arts or to non-profit charitable organizations in general. Those provisions, which had been approved by the Senate but not the House, included the 'artist deduction bill.' They will now be the subject of further negotiations between the House and Senate. It appears that the House did not object to the charity provisions on their merits, but rather that a number of arcane budgetary and parliamentary rules and restrictions prevented their inclusion in the larger bill, which focused on extending President Bush’s tax cuts." – posted 9/1/06

Wisconsin News

Governor Doyle Appoints Denise Sweet Poet Laureate of Wisconsin (external link)
Office of the Governor
Posted 9/7/04

RESOURCES

The Arts: So Good in Wisconsin (external link)
PortalWisconsin.org
“This short video—produced in partnership by Arts Wisconsin, Wisconsin Arts Board and Travelwisconsin.com—celebrates what Wisconsin's vibrant arts community has to offer both residents and travelers.” Watch the Video: http://www.portalwisconsin.org/thearts_sogood.ram

Americans for the Arts Job Bank (external link)
“Americans for the Arts had launched the Job Bank, a national online service featuring searchable resumes and job advertisements as well as links to resources in the arts field. Post job advertisements at no charge during the Job Bank’s preview year and see how many people you can reach through Americans for the Arts. Or if you are looking for a job, post your resume and showcase your skills to prospective employers.”

NYFA CURRENT (external link)
Since 1992, NYFA Current (previously known as Arts Wire Current) has provided the national arts community with news and analysis of the important issues of the day.

Accessibility Resource Available (external link)
National Arts and Disability Center
The National Arts and Disability Center (NADC) would like to inform you about a new online document entitled, "Accessibility Planning and Resource Guide for Cultural Administrators." The National Arts and Disability Center at the University of California Los Angeles under contract and in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies produced this online companion to the printed text Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator's Handbook (2003). The Guide provides guidance to cultural administrators on how to achieve accessible and inclusive programming for everyone including individuals with disabilities and older adults. The Accessibility Planning and Resource Guide for Cultural Administrators is available in Portable Document Format (PDF). Feel free to view it at the link above.

Artscan--Arts in Education Policy Database (external link)
Education Commission of the States
"ECS has developed Artscan to support the analysis of state-level policies related to the arts in education. From this database, you can generate profiles of the state policies for arts education in individual states, create comparisons of specific types of arts education state policies across several states and view compiled reports on state policies for the arts education. Artscan will be updated as state policy information becomes available."

Media Paints Arts Education in Fading Light (external link)
Education Commission of the States
"How does the national press portray arts education? Find out in this new media analysis released by ECS."

State Superintendents Are Powerful Advocates for the Arts in Education (external link)
Education Commission of the States, Americans for the Arts
“In the latest of a series of Education Commission of the States interviews, state superintendents Libby Burmaster of Wisconsin, Sandy Garrett of Oklahoma and Tom Horne of Arizona talk about their efforts to make support for the arts education a higher priority at the state and local levels.”

School Board Journal Special Issue on Arts Education (external link)
American School Board Journal, Americans for the Arts
“American School Board Journal, the publication of the National School Boards Association, has published a special report on arts education, including a lead article by Americans for the Arts Arts Education Council member Sarah Tambucci. Articles include:

The Promise of Arts Education: Far from being a 'frill,' arts education provides opportunities for renewal and reform by Sarah Tambucci
Partners for the Arts: School districts find collaboration is the key to making the arts an integral part of education by Naomi Dillon
Drawing and the Brain: Visualizing information is a vital early step in learning to read by Kenneth A. Wesson
Arts at the Core: How six school districts integrate arts education into the curriculum by Ruth E. Sternberg

Making Student Achievement (external PDF link)
EdSource Report, Americans for the Arts
“A new report identifies four specific practices most strongly correlated with higher achievement: 1) prioritizing student achievement; 2) implementing a coherent, standards-based instructional program; 3) using assessment data to improve student achievement and instruction; and 4) ensuring the availability of instructional resources. The remaining three domains examined—involving and supporting parents, encouraging teacher collaboration and professional development, and enforcing high expectations for student behavior—had much weaker but still positive correlations with school performance.”

New Arts Education Report (external PDF link)
Education Commission of the States
“With the leadership of its 2004 chairman, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, The Education Commission of the States (ECS) has published a 'Findings & Recommendations' to conclude a two-year initiative on arts education. This report offers a summary of state arts education policies; examines policymakers' perspectives on the arts in education and the tools they need to promote the arts in education; reviews existing research on the benefits of learning in and through the arts; and identifies areas in which additional research is needed. The report closes with suggestions for future action on the part of ECS.” posted 8/1/06

National Parent Teacher Association joins fight for arts education funding (external PDF link)
Parent Teacher Association, Americans for the Arts
“Following a speech by Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch at the National Parent Teacher Association's (PTA) convention, the PTA sent a letter to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Ranking Member Tom Harkin (D-IA) that calls for full funding of the Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education. The letter represents a request from nearly six million parents, teachers, students, and child advocates.” posted 9/19/06

Act like a business? Why aim so low? (external link)
The Artful Manager, ArtsJournal.com
"In his recent monograph, Good to Great and the Social Sectors, Jim Collins makes a rather bold statement: 'We must reject the idea -- well-intentioned, but dead wrong -- that the primary path to greatness in the social sectors is to become "more like a business."' His point is that most businesses are poorly run, and that many business practices correlate with mediocrity, not greatness. So, to him, telling nonprofit organizations to 'run like a business' is like telling artists to lower their standards, or telling a visionary leader to 'aim low.'" posted 8/1/06

Foundation Yearbook: Facts and Figures on Private and Community Foundations (external link)
Foundation Center
"Foundation Yearbook: Facts and Figures on Private and Community Foundations documents changes in the actual number, giving, and assets of all active U.S. foundations from 1975 through 2004 and includes estimates of foundation giving through 2005. The report provides an overview of the state of foundation giving in the current year and beyond; comparisons of foundation activities by foundation size; and breakdowns of foundation resources by geographic location and grantmaker type." posted 8/1/06

NPT Research: Donors Want Accountability Slightly More Than Connection (external link)
Nonprofit Times
"The perception that an organization is well managed and its money well spent drives long-term giving, more so even than the personal connection to an organization or cause. According to exclusive national polling conducted for The NonProfit Times by Opinion Research Corporation, it is more likely that a donor will give for five years or more if, one, the organization is perceived to be well managed, and two, that the person strongly believes in the cause. The study found these are more important for giving for five years or more than personal experience with the cause, that a family member will benefit, or because a person volunteers." posted 8/1/06

Do Big Names Really Draw Big Bucks? (external link)
Nonprofit Quarterly
"Editors’ Note: Robert Herman and David Renz presented a study in progress at the 2005 conference of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA). Among the interesting elements of the study was a finding on a question that many of you will have struggled with: Does having influential/connected-to-money individuals on your board translate into greater revenues? There is, of course, a related question: 'Even if it did result in greater revenues, Is it the right way to go?' but that is for later…" posted 8/1/06

Donor Perceptions. Donors don’t like slick, or do they?
The Nonprofit Times
“How slick is that direct mail? Donors strongly dislike nonprofits using big-business marketing and sales techniques. They are turned off by glossy brochures, unsolicited 'gifts,' and telemarketing. These are some of the results in a report called, The Charitable Impulse, by Public Agenda, a New York City nonpartisan research organization. The study was designed to explore perceptions held by typical donors.” posted 10/4/06

Opportunities

Call for Proposals: Farming and Rural Life
Wisconsin Humanities Council and The Boldt Company
Deadline: Ongoing
MADISON — “The Wisconsin Humanities Council (WHC) invites grant proposals for public humanities projects related to the theme of 'Farming & Rural Life in Wisconsin.' Grants will be awarded to organizations in communities with populations of 5,000 residents or less, and whose programs explore the rich and diverse histories, arts, ideas, and values of Wisconsin’s evolving rural and agricultural heritage.”
Wisconsin Triennial
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
Deadline: October 27
Ashland Independent Film Festival application available
Ashland Independent Film Festival
Early Entry Deadline: October 27, 2006
“The ashland independent film festival is currently accepting entries for our 6th annual festival April 12-16, 2007 in downtown Ashland, Oregon on five screens of the historic Varsity Theatre. Filmmakers working in all genres, themes and lengths are welcome. All films are eligible for submission to the 2007 festival if completed after January 1, 2005.”
Plymouth Arts Center accepting applications for 12th annual Holiday Membership exhibition
Sheboygan Press
Deadline: October 30
“The Plymouth Arts Center is accepting applications for its 12th annual Holiday Membership Fine Art Exhibit in Gallery 110 North. The exhibit is open to Plymouth Arts Center members and to those who wish to become members. Entries must be postmarked no later than Monday, Oct. 30. Each member may submit one piece of original fine art that is his/her own concept and design not previously displayed in Gallery 110 North. The Fine Arts Committee will have the final word on appropriateness of the work.”
First National Asian-American Theater Festival slated for New York City
National Asian American Theatre Company
Deadlines: ~~September 30 (companies);~~ October 31 (individuals)
NEW YORK CITY – "Ma-yi Theater, NAATCO (National Asian American Theatre Co.), and Pan Asian Rep announce the first National Asian American Theater Festival, to take place June 11- 24, 2007 in New York City. Continuing the momentum which began with the planning of the first National Asian American Theater Conference three years ago, which was realized in June 2006 in Los Angeles to great success, the Festival will host Asian American theater companies and individual performers from across the nation in a tour-de-force of Asian American repertoire and performance. …For guidelines and an application form, go to www.naatf.org or http://www.naatf.org/."
The 69th Annual Conference for Community Arts Education
October 31 – November 4
Wisconsin Humanities Council offers research grants for scholars
Wisconsin Humanities Council, Portalwisconsin.org
Deadlines: January 1, March 1, May 1, July 1, September 1, and November 1 of each year
“In addition to grants for public humanities projects, the Wisconsin Humanities Council (WHC) also awards mini-grants of up to $2,000 to support scholarly research that will be presented in a lively manner to a public audience through an exhibit, media production, reading/discussion series, public lecture, general publication or other appropriate means. The WHC does not fund research intended solely for scholarly publication.”
Target Field Trip Grants
Target, Americans for the Arts
Deadline: November 1
“As part of the Target commitment supporting education, the innovative new Target Field Trip Grants program will award up to 800 educators grants of $1,000 each to fund a field trip for their students. From art museums and environmental projects to cultural events and civic experiences, Target Field Trip Grants could take you and your students on the ultimate field trip. Applications must be submitted electronically between September 1, 2006 and November 1, 2006. Only one submission per applicant will be accepted. Check back in February to see the list of Target Field Trip Grant recipients.”
Television Projects: Planning Grants
National Endowment for the Humanities
Deadline: November 3, 2006
"Planning grants can be used to draft a treatment. Before applying, applicants should have become familiar with the major humanities scholarship on the subject, clarified the themes the project will explore, and obtained commitments from the principal scholars who will guide the project. They should also have made preliminary decisions about the format and storyline and located essential materials for the film. Finally, they should have recruited the appropriate media professionals, especially the producer."
Television Projects: Scripting Grants
National Endowment for the Humanities
Deadline: November 3, 2006
"NEH supports television documentary programs or historical dramatizations that address significant figures, events, or developments in the humanities and draw their content from humanities scholarship. Projects must be intended for national distribution during prime time hours, whether on public television, commercial television, or cable networks. Support is also available for DVDs and websites that expand the content of the television program."
Television Projects: Production
National Endowment for the Humanities
Deadline: November 3, 2006
"NEH supports television documentary programs or historical dramatizations that address significant figures, events, or developments in the humanities and draw their content from humanities scholarship. Projects must be intended for national distribution during prime time hours, whether on public television, commercial television, or cable networks. Support is also available for DVDs and websites that expand the content of the television program."
The Surdna Foundation Fellowships to High School Arts Teachers
Surdna Foundation
November 17
“The Surdna Foundation is pleased to announce the seventh round of the Surdna Arts Teachers Fellowship Program, a national initiative to support the artistic revitalization of outstanding arts teachers in specialized, public arts high schools. We are asking you to help disseminate information about the program to eligible arts teachers, schools and leaders in the fields of arts and education in your region.”
31st Annual Women’s Studies Conference Women's Studies: Research, Teaching, and Activism
UW System
Proposal Deadline: November 18
"The 31st Annual Conference of the University of Wisconsin System Women's Studies Consortium will bring together academics, teachers, students, community leaders and activists, and others whose lives have been or could be enriched by Women's Studies, to celebrate, examine, and envision the widest range of women's leadership and Women's Studies issues."
Statewide Concrete Design Award Entries Sought
Aggregate Research
Deadline: December 1
“The Wisconsin Ready Mixed Concrete Association has issued a call for entries to the 2006 Concrete Design Awards. The awards are a part of a prestigious program showcasing best uses of ready-mixed concrete in Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.”
Chamber Music America Residency Partnership Program
Chamber Music America
Deadline: December 8, 2006
“The Residency Partnership Program supports dynamic collaborations and non-traditional partnerships among ensembles, presenters, and community-based organizations with the goal of bringing live ensemble music to rural, urban, and suburban communities nationwide. Residency projects may include workshops, coaching sessions, lecture/demonstrations, and/or concerts that are not part of a regular series. A collaborative project ranges from a minimum of three days to a maximum of one year. This program also offers an option for long-term projects that may require up to three years to complete. The Residency Partnership Program is supported by JPMorgan Chase, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Chamber Music America Residency Endowment Fund.”
NEA Fine Arts Grants Secondary Arts 2006-2007
National Education Association, Americans for the Arts
Deadline: December 15
“The National Education Association (NEA) Fine Arts grants are awarded to teachers, through local NEA affiliates, to enable them to create and implement fine arts programs that promote learning among students at risk of school failure. Programs must address the arts (e.g., painting, sculpture, photography, music, theater, dance, design, media, or folk arts).”
Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Foundation Grants
Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Foundation
Deadline: December 15
“Individual Support grants available to artists with a minimum of 20 years in a mature phase; grant amounts are determined each year. Last year this program awarded 12 grants of $25,000 each. Written request for applications, please. A separate grant program, for emergencies, assists artists suffering from catastrophic circumstances (fire, flood, medical emergency), who have a minimum of ten years in a mature phase; grant amounts range up to $10,000 depending on the need and circumstances of the individual applicant. Info: Gottlieb Foundation, 380 West Broadway, New York, NY 10012.”
NEA Literature Fellowships/Translations
National Endowment for the Arts
Deadline: January 8, 2007
Kanazawa "Machinaka" Sculpture Competition 2006
Kanazawa City, Japan
Deadline: January 31, 2007
“Kanazawa City is launching the second public sculpture competition, Kanazawa 'Machinaka' Sculpture Competition 2006, to create a new urban space with an artistic atmosphere and to revitalize the district along the main street. The street, identified as 'Art Avenue,' stretches from Kanazawa station to 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, and the winning pieces are to be placed along this avenue.”
Starbucks Foundation: Funds for Programs for Youth
Americans for the Arts, Starbucks Foundation
Deadlines: September 1 and March 1 (yearly)
Starbucks Foundation funds programs for youth, ages 6-18, that integrate literacy with personal and civic action in the communities where they live. The Starbucks Foundation invites letters of inquiry from qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations that work with underserved youth in the fields of literacy (reading, writing, and creative/media arts) and environmental literacy. Grants range from $5,000-$20,000.
The Melody Program of the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation
Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation
Deadline: N/A
"The Melody program is designed to provide musical instruments and instrument repairs to existing K-12 school music programs that have no other source of financing to purchase additional musical instruments and materials. Eligibility: schools that meet the requirements outlined on the website. Maximum Award: $500-$5,000."
Classics for Kids Foundation Grants Program 2005-2006
Classics for Kids Foundation
Deadline: N/A
The Classics for Kids Foundation is currently accepting grant applications from nonprofit music programs serving youth grades 3-12 for: Matching grants for stringed instruments that are beautiful, sound terrific, and are easy for children to play; World class mentoring by renowned cellist, Michael Reynolds. Detail about Classics for Kids Foundation, grant criteria, and applications are available online at www.classicsforkids.org. The Classics for Kids Foundation was formed in 1997 to inspire and to empower young people to shape their own positive futures through playing music. The foundation fulfills its mission by supporting string music programs with high quality instruments, mentoring and performance-based fundraising. Grants are open to nonprofit organizations or to private studios with a nonprofit partner."
Applications Invited for NEA/TCG Career Development Program for Directors and Designers (external link)
Deadline: Various
In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the Theatre Communications Group, a nonprofit organization that works to strengthen, nurture, and promote the not-for-profit professional American theater, offers the Career Development Program for Directors and Designers.

Updated: February 20, 2009