2006 Grant Awards: Access to Artistic Excellence

[ August 15, 2005 deadline ]

Dance | Design | Folk & Traditional Arts | Literature | Local Arts Agencies
Media Arts | Museum | Music | Musical Theater | Presenting
Theater | Visual Arts

Some details of the projects listed below are subject to change, contingent upon prior Endowment approval.

Literature

Academy of American Poets, Inc. (Consortium)
New York, NY
$20,000
To support a consortium project to coordinate National Poetry Month. In partnership with the National Council of Teachers of English, the Academy will sponsor readings, discussions, and outreach programs designed to encourage Americans to make poetry a larger part of their lives.

Adirondack Community College
Queensbury, NY
$7,000
To support readings and workshops by nationally renowned and local writers for students and community members. The college will promote the readings through its Web site and newsletters.

Arizona State University (on behalf of Bilingual Review Press)
Tempe, AZ
$10,000
To support educational and outreach programs that promote the work of Latino poets. Activities will include the expansion of a Web site to foster the exchange of information among poets, literary organizations, and the general public.

Art Sanctuary
Philadelphia, PA
$10,000
To support the 2006-2007 Celebration of Black Writing. The year's programming will include a series of readings, performances, workshops, and discussions targeting African Americans.

Association of Writers & Writing Programs (aka AWP)
Fairfax, VA
$50,000
To support the production, printing, and distribution of The Writer's Chronicle and the AWP Job List, continued development of the AWP Web site, and the 2006 AWP Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. AWP will promote the publications and annual conference through a 200,000-piece direct mail campaign.

Cave Canem Foundation, Inc.
New York, NY
$17,500
To support a writing retreat targeting emerging African American poets. Cave Canem also will present readings across the country to promote its 10th Anniversary Anthology, and a 10th Anniversary Celebration consisting of workshops, panels, and public readings.

Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (aka CLMP)
New York, NY
$32,500
To support new and enhanced services for large, mid-size, and small independent literary publishers. Scheduled services include an interactive Web site, workshops, one-on-one training, and technical assistance publications.

Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (aka CLMP) (Consortium)
New York, NY
$10,000
To support a consortium project to present literary magazine and small press fairs to communities across the country. In partnership with The Kenyon Review, the council will hold events in Pittsburgh, PA; Houston, TX; Columbus, OH; Portland, OR; Hudson, NY; Atlanta, GA; and Denver, CO.

Daily Poetry Association (aka Poetry Daily)
Charlottesville, VA
$10,000
To support the expansion of the online publication Poetry Daily. The journal features a new poem every day of the year, as well as criticism and links to contemporary poetry and poets.

Fishtrap, Inc.
Enterprise, OR
$10,000
To support writing workshops, discussions, and readings for residents of the rural Northwest. The theme for Summer Fishtrap 2006 is "a nation of immigrants."

Fort Lewis College (on behalf of Southwest Writers Institute)
Durango, CO
$10,000
To support a weekend of literary events for residents of the Four Corners. Proposed keynote speakers include Barbara Kingsolver and Louise Erdich.

Gemini Series, Inc. (aka Gemini Ink)
San Antonio, TX
$10,000
To support a series of classes, readings, and special events led by published writers and teachers. The University Without Walls program will offer classes for local writers and community members combining both on-site mentoring and distance learning.

Guild Complex
Chicago, IL
$7,500
To support the development and theatrical performance of new work by emerging and mid-career poets. Guild Complex will debut the work in two performances at a local professional theater space as well as in the artists' home neighborhoods.

Haleakala, Inc. (aka The Kitchen) (Consortium)
New York, NY
$10,000
To support a consortium project of literary performances to showcase small, alternative literary publications and their writers. In partnership with Open City, Inc., The Kitchen will promote the monthly series to its mailing list of 23,000 individuals.

Hill-Stead Museum
Farmington, CT
$10,000
To support the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival, featuring summer readings and workshops. Scheduled poets include Jane Hirshfield, Jim Daniels, Li-Young Lee, and Norah Pollard.

Hudson Review, Inc.
New York, NY
$10,000
To support a series of literary presentations in New York City. The Hudson Review will sponsor symposia on such topics as criticism and translation, and a concert featuring songs based on poems by three poets published in the journal.

Hudson Valley Writers' Center, Inc.
Sleepy Hollow, NY
$7,500
To support readings by emerging and established writers. The center will develop outreach committees to seek ways to meet the needs of youth, African Americans, Hispanics, and communities north of Sleepy Hollow.

Humanities Tennessee
Nashville, TN
$10,000
To support The Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word in 2006. With an annual audience of 30,000, the free, three-day festival in downtown Memphis will feature readings and panel sessions by more than 200 authors.

Inprint, Inc.
Houston, TX
$10,000
To support the Inprint Brown Reading Series. Inprint will send brochures to more than 100 print and broadcast media groups and 5,400 households throughout Houston, and place posters and postcards at area bookstores, theaters, cafes, schools, libraries, and universities.

Just Buffalo Literary Center, Inc.
Buffalo, NY
$10,000
To support outreach programs throughout the greater Buffalo area. Proposed programs include World of Voices, which brings international writers to western New York for week-long residencies.

Library Foundation of Hennepin County
Minnetonka, MN
$10,000
To support the 2006-07 Pen Pals Author Lecture Series. Promotion efforts will include print ads, public radio spots, and a mailing to more than 8,000 community members.

Loft, Inc.
Minneapolis, MN
$30,000
To support The Minnesota Program for Writers, which will provide workshops and mentors for emerging writers throughout the state. The program will feature The Mentor Series, which connects nationally recognized writers with local writers through workshops and one-on-one instruction; and Talking Volumes, presenting recent original work by advanced writers to audiences throughout the Upper Midwest.

Log Cabin Literary Center, Inc.
Boise, ID
$15,000
To support The Snake River Writers Series, bringing Idaho writers into remote areas of the state. Authors will appear in pairs to draw out audiences for readings and provide more personal attention during community workshops.

Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance (aka MWPA)
Bath, ME
$15,000
To support a variety of services for professional writers throughout the state. Services include a community Web site, one-on-one mentoring, a regional writing conference, and Maine in Print, an anthology of Maine authors and publishers.

Marygrove College
Detroit, MI
$5,000
To support a day of readings and workshops with a critically renowned African American writer as part of the college's Contemporary American Authors Lecture Series. The program will be promoted through direct mailings to more than 200,000 students and community members.

Minnesota Humanities Commission
St. Paul, MN
$10,000
To support Authors on Tour, a program to send finalists and winners of the Minnesota Book Awards to small and mid-sized towns. Authors who have expressed interest include Charles Baxter, Jane Jeong Trenka, Robert Bly, Kent Meyers, Diane Glancy, and Bill Holm.

Montana Committee for the Humanities (aka MCH)
Missoula, MT
$15,000
To support the Montana Festival of the Book. More than 100 regional authors will read and discuss their work at selected venues, reaching an estimated audience of as many as 5,000.

Naropa University
Boulder, CO
$25,000
To support the development of curricula for high school and college classrooms utilizing recordings from the collections of the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. Curricula and downloadable audiofiles will be made available on Naropa's Web site.

Nevada Humanities Committee, Inc. (aka Nevada Humanities)
Reno, NV
$10,000
To support the Vegas Valley Book Festival, an annual multi-day program of readings, panel discussions, and literary presentations for all ages. Proposed guest writers include Jonathan Lethem, Dave Eggers, Michael Chabon, Colson Whitehead, Lorrie Moore, and ZZ Packer.

Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say
Houston, TX
$10,000
To support a variety of literary programming targeted to the Latino community. Activities include monthly readings and the 5th Annual Houston Latino Book and Family Festival.

PEN American Center, Inc. (aka PEN)
New York, NY
$35,000
To support the 3rd Annual PEN World Voices: The New York Festival of International Literature. The five-day festival will feature tributes, forums, conversations, readings, and roundtable discussions in both large-scale and intimate public venues.

PEN Center USA West (aka PEN USA)
Culver City, CA
$20,000
To support writing residencies and workshops for emerging writers. The project will include Emerging Voices, a one-on-one mentorship program, and PEN in the Classroom, providing arts instruction for underserved Southern California high school students.

PEN/Faulkner Foundation
Washington, DC
$15,000
To support a fiction reading series and writers-in-the-schools program. The foundation will distribute to classrooms free copies of books preceding each author visit.

People and Stories Gente y Cuentos, Inc.
Trenton, NJ
$15,000
To support literary discussion groups and writing workshops in English and Spanish for disadvantaged communities in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Targeted settings include transitional housing programs, correctional facilities, rehabilitation programs, women's shelters, and senior facilities.

Poetry Center of Chicago (aka The Poetry Center)
Chicago, IL
$10,000
To support readings featuring nationally renowned writers and Hands on Stanzas, a poets-in-the-schools program. Students of the program receive an anthology of their work, free admission to readings, and opportunities to present their poetry at sites throughout the city.

Poetry Project, Ltd.
New York, NY
$10,000
To support the Monday Night and Wednesday Night Reading and Performance Series. The series will feature live presentations by more than 130 poets and performers.

Poetry Society of America (aka PSA)
New York, NY
$20,000
To support the continuation of Poetry in Motion, a program that places poetry placards in public transportation systems throughout the country. Targeted cities include Kansas City, MO; Milwaukee, WI; Houston, TX; Fort Collins, CO; Fresno, CA; Minneapolis, MN; Philadelphia, PA; New York, NY; and Portland, OR.

Poets & Writers, Inc.
New York, NY
$60,000
To support the publication of Poets & Writers Magazine and the continued development and promotion of Poets & Writers' Web site. The Web site provides links to over 1,000 other Web sites dedicated to helping writers.

Poets & Writers, Inc. (Consortium)
New York, NY
$12,500
To support the consortium project Carried Voices: Writers & Books in the West. In partnership with the YMCA of Billings, the project will bring literary events to Oregon, Washington, Montana, Wyoming, and northern California.

Poets House, Inc.
New York, NY
$40,000
To support Building and Breaking, a series of outreach events to coordinate with a permanent move to a new facility. Poets House will sponsor readings, panel discussions, walking tours, and the 2007 Showcase, an exhibition designed to preserve and display the breadth of poetry in print.

Providence Public Library (aka PPL)
Providence, RI
$7,500
To support six-week writing workshops for teens at inner-city branch libraries. Their work will be displayed alongside the work of published Rhode Island poets on buses throughout the state.

Rattapallax, Inc.
New York, NY
$5,000
To support the development, presentation, and promotion of a DVD featuring poetry and literary films. The DVD will accompany Rattapallax magazine and be released at a literary film festival at the Langston Hughes Community and Cultural Center in Queens, New York.

Richard Hugo House
Seattle, WA
$10,000
To support Project Writing Nation, a series of outreach programs designed to boost writing skills and interaction with literature. Programs include writers residencies, writing workshops in low-income communities, and zine publishing workshops.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey-Camden Campus
Camden, NJ
$7,500
To support the 19th annual Rutgers-Camden Writers' Conference, a day of free readings and writing workshops for residents of Camden and South Jersey. Proposed workshop leaders include Diana Abu-Jaber, Thomas Sayers Ellis, Beth Kephart, and Jhumpa Lahiri.

San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA
$15,000
To support the cataloging and digitalizing of audiotapes from the Poetry Center's American Poetry Archives. The center will catalog and record detailed contents for the most significant audiotapes dating from 1954 to 1974.

San Jose Center for Poetry & Literature (aka Poetry Center San Jose)
San Jose, CA
$7,500
To support an all-day Festival of Poetry in History Park, San Jose. The festival will include readings, open mic events, a book fair, and a high school poetry contest.

Seattle Arts & Lectures (Consortium)
Seattle, WA
$7,500
To support a consortium project to present poetry readings and on-stage interviews with poets in Portland, OR and Seattle, WA. In partnership with Literary Arts, Inc., the organizations will mail promotional brochures to more than 27,000 individuals, and will run advertisements in local magazines and newspapers.

Texas Book Festival
Austin, TX
$10,000
To support readings and panel discussions by prominent authors participating in the 2006 Texas Book Festival. The festival will feature such writers as Sandra Cisneros, Larry McMurtry, Salman Rushdie, Annie Proulx, T.C. Boyle, Rudolfo Anaya, and Tim O'Brien.

University of Arizona (on behalf of Poetry Center)
Tucson, AZ
$15,000
To support the Visiting Poets and Writers Reading Series. The Poetry Center will present free public readings and lectures, community workshops, school visits, prison/juvenile detention presentations, and symposia with visiting artists.

University of Mississippi Main Campus (on behalf of Center for the Study of Southern Culture)
University, MS
$5,000
To support the 2007 Oxford Conference for the Book, which includes panel sessions and workshops with authors, editors, agents, librarians, and booksellers. The program will be dedicated to the late Mississippi author Larry Brown.

University of Texas at Dallas (on behalf of American Literary Translators Association)
Richardson, TX
$17,500
To support services to enhance the professional development of literary translators. Activities include an annual conference, the publication of issues of the Translation Review and Annotated Books Received, and continued development of a Web site.

Utah Humanities Council
Salt Lake City, UT
$10,000
To support the 8th annual Great Salt Lake Book Festival. The free, four-day festival will feature readings, writing workshops, poetry slams, and programs for children.

Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy (aka VFH)
Charlottesville, VA
$10,000
To support the 13th annual Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville, Virginia. Over five days, the festival features author readings, lectures, and writing workshops free-of-charge.

Wildlife Conservation Society (Consortium)
Bronx, NY
$40,000
To support a consortium project to curate permanent poetry installations at New York zoos. In collaboration with Poets House, conservation poet Sandra Alcosser will select poems, develop an online database, and work with designers to integrate poetry into wildlife exhibits.

Wisconsin Humanities Council (on behalf of Wisconsin Book Festival)
Madison, WI
$10,000
To support the 2006 Wisconsin Book Festival, now in its fifth year. Over five days, the festival features almost 100 free events, including author readings, lectures, writing workshops, children's activities, and open mic slams.

Woodland Pattern, Inc. (aka Woodland Pattern Book Center)
Milwaukee, WI
$30,000
To support a series of readings, exhibits, and community workshops. Participating writers will include Ron Silliman, Cole Swenson, Lyn Hejinian, John Ashbery, Edwin Torres, and Harryette Mullen.

Writer's Garret
Dallas, TX
$17,500
To support the improvement and expansion of the Writers Community and Mentorship Project, a professional development program for writers. Project participants will study with published writers in workshops, seminars, and classes, as well as through one-on-one mentorships.

Writer's Garret (Consortium)
Dallas, TX
$15,000
To support a consortium project titled The Writer's Studio, a radio show featuring interviews with established authors. Writer's Garret will partner with KERA Public Radio FM, which will broadcast the show.

Writers & Books, Inc.
Rochester, NY
$15,000
To support Literary Learning for a Lifetime, a series of educational and outreach programs. The project will offer readings, writing workshops, and online classes for adults and intergenerational groups.

Writers Room, Inc.
New York, NY
$10,000
To support subsidized work space for emerging writers. The Writers Room is an urban writers' colony in New York City.

Wyoming Arts Council (aka State of Wyoming) (Consortium)
Cheyenne, WY
$7,500
To support the inaugural Equality State Book Festival, a consortium project in Casper, Wyoming. The Council will partner with Casper College to bring authors to the region for readings, a book fair, a children's reading pavilion, a book arts exhibit, and poetry slams.

Young Men's & Young Women's Hebrew Association (aka 92nd Street Y) (on behalf of Unterberg Poetry Center)
New York, NY
$30,000
To support the Unterberg Poetry Center Reading Series. The project will feature readings, performances, literary tributes, and live interviews by established and emerging authors.

Young Men's Christian Association of Billings (aka YMCA)
Billings, MT
$10,000
To support First Thursday: An Exploration of Contemporary Literature, a reading series on the first Thursday of every month. Visiting writers will conduct educational outreach activities, including visits to local schools and tribal colleges.

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