LOCAL ARTS AGENCIES: Art Works

Introduction | Deadlines (March or August) | Project Reporting and Evaluation | Application Review | Contacts | If you wish to apply | Grant Amounts & Matching Funds

Introduction

The guiding principle of "Art Works" is at the center of everything we do at the NEA. "Art Works" refers to three things: the works of art themselves, the ways art works on audiences, and the fact that art is work for the artists and arts professionals who make up the field.

To make "art work," the NEA has included the advancement of innovation as a core component of its mission as a way to ensure the vitality of the arts. We recognize that arts and design organizations are often in the forefront of innovation in their work and strongly encourage innovative projects which are characterized as those that:

• Are likely to prove transformative with the potential for meaningful change, whether in the development or enhancement of new or existing art forms, new approaches to the creation or presentation of art, or new ways of engaging the public with art;
• Are distinctive, offering fresh insights and new value for their fields and/or the public through unconventional solutions; and
• Have the potential to be shared and/or emulated, or are likely to lead to other advances in the field.

Through the projects that we support in the Art Works category, we want to achieve the following four outcomes:

• Creation: The creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence,
• Engagement: Public engagement with diverse and excellent art,
• Learning: Lifelong learning in the arts, and
• Livability: The strengthening of communities through the arts.

 Please note:      

• Partnerships can be valuable to the success of projects. While not required, applicants are encouraged to consider partnerships among organizations, both in and outside of the arts, as appropriate to their project.

• American arts and design organizations must be inclusive of the full range of demographics of their communities, as well as individuals of all physical and cognitive abilities. Toward that end, we encourage projects for which NEA support is sought to strive for the highest level of inclusiveness in their audiences, programming, artists, governance, and staffing. We also welcome projects that will explicitly address the issue of inclusion.

• We are interested in projects that extend the arts to underserved populations -- those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. This is achieved in part through the use of Challenge America funds.

• The Art Works category does not fund direct grants to individuals. Direct grants to individuals are offered only in the category of Literature Fellowships.

Grants generally will range from $10,000 to $100,000. Grants of $100,000 or more will be made only in rare instances, and only for projects that the Arts Endowment determines demonstrate exceptional national or regional significance and impact. In the past few years, well over half of the agency's grants have been for amounts less than $25,000.

Deadlines [Back to Top]

Art Works applications will be accepted under two deadlines: March 7, 2013, and August 8, 2013. Apply under the deadline with the NEA outcome (in bold below) and project example that most closely corresponds to the primary focus of your proposed project. You will be asked to indicate the outcome that is most relevant to your project in your application and on the application form (you also will be able to select a secondary outcome).

March 7, 2013, Application Deadline
January 1, 2014, Earliest Beginning Date for Arts Endowment Period of Support

Engagement

• Coordinated services including marketing campaigns, electronic box office services, and audience development activities.
• Innovative strategies to engage new audiences.
• Innovative collaborations that strengthen the field of community arts journalism and arts criticism.
• Services to artists and arts organizations. This may include conferences, convenings, workshops, technical assistance, leadership training, and other professional development opportunities for artists and arts administrators. 
• Subgranting for service activities on behalf of a local arts agency's constituents. To be eligible, a local arts agency must be a unit of city or county government or designated to operate on behalf of its local government. In addition to the "Applicant Eligibility" section for all Grants for Arts Projects applicants, applicants for subgranting projects must have a three-year history of subgranting in the arts prior to the application deadline. Designated local arts agencies that will subgrant must:
• Require their grantees to provide DUNS numbers before a grant can be made.
• In certain instances, report grants of $25,000 or more in federal funds to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Subward Reporting System (FSRS).

Livability

• The development of plans for cultural and/or creative sector growth including cultural assessments, community-wide cultural planning, and specific-issue cultural plans.
• The development of artist live/work spaces.

(Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact staff if they are considering Livability as a primary outcome.)

August 8, 2013, Application Deadline
June 1, 2014, Earliest Beginning Date for Arts Endowment Period of Support

Creation

• Artist commissions, including those for public art.
• Artist residencies where the primary purpose is to create new art.
• Innovative projects using technology, media, new models, or other strategies in the creation of new work.

Engagement

• Performing arts events, readings, screenings, broadcasts, and visual arts exhibitions.
• Innovative projects to increase access to the arts or works of art.
• Innovative collaborations that strengthen the field of community arts journalism and arts criticism.
• Subgranting for programming activities on behalf of a local arts agency's constituents. To be eligible, a local arts agency must be a unit of city or county government or designated to operate on behalf of its local government. In addition to the "Applicant Eligibility" section for all Grants for Arts Projects applicants, applicants for subgranting projects must have a three-year history of subgranting in the arts prior to the application deadline. Designated local arts agencies that will subgrant must:
• Require their grantees to provide DUNS numbers before a grant can be made.
• In certain instances, report grants of $25,000 or more in federal funds to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Subward Reporting System (FSRS).

• Documentation and conservation of public and monumental art.

Learning

• Artist residencies where the primary purpose is the acquisition of knowledge or skills in the arts.
• Education and related activities for youth, adults, intergenerational groups, and schools. (If your project is for youth, see "Choosing the Right Discipline for Youth Projects" to help you in your discipline selection.)

Livability

• The enhancement of public spaces through commissioning and/or installation of art works.

(Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact staff if they are considering Livability as a primary outcome.)

Project Reporting and Evaluation [Back to Top]

We ask all applicants to define what they would like to achieve, how they will assess the degree to which it is achieved, and, upon completion of the project, what they have learned from their experiences. Such feedback need not entail large-scale or expensive evaluation efforts. You should do what is feasible and appropriate for your organization and project. When a grant is completed, you must submit a final report and answer questions on your achievements and how these were determined. Arts Education grantees will be required to describe the assessment methods used to assess learning, and they will be required to submit any tools used to assess learning with their Final Report. (Please note that assessment tools may be shared publicly. If your tools are proprietary and have copyrights or trademarks attached, you will be asked to note that in your application and Final Report.) Before applying, please review the reporting requirements for the outcome that will be selected for the proposed project: Creation, Engagement, Learning, or Livability.

Beyond the reporting requirements for all grantees, selected Art Works grantees will be asked to assist in the collection of additional information that can help the NEA determine the degree to which agency objectives were achieved. You may be contacted to provide evidence of project accomplishments including, but not limited to, work samples, community action plans, cultural asset studies, programs, reviews, relevant news clippings, and playbills. Please remember that you are required to maintain project documentation for three years following submission of your final reports.

Application Review [Back to Top]

This category uses the agency's traditional method of application review. Applications are submitted to the Local Arts Agencies staff and are reviewed by a diverse group of experts in the local arts agencies field.

Applications are reviewed on the basis of artistic excellence and artistic merit. For more detailed information on how artistic excellence and artistic merit will be evaluated, see the "Review Criteria." You can find additional information in the "Application Review" section of the "Frequently Asked Questions." See the "Application Calendar" for information on when we expect to announce grant awards and rejections.

Contacts [Back to Top]

Local Arts Agencies Specialist: Dinah Walls, wallsd@arts.gov or 202/682-5586

If you wish to apply: [Back to Top]

CFDA No. 45.024
OMB No. 3135-0112 Expires 11/30/2013
January 2013

National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20506