Statement on Hurricane Harvey

The National Endowment for the Arts expresses its deepest concern and most heartfelt sympathies for the millions of people in Texas and Louisiana affected by Hurricane Harvey. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who are confronted by this disaster. We are working to coordinate support for arts organizations in the regions designated a disaster area by FEMA, and we stand ready to support the recovery of the arts and cultural communities in the devastated areas. In the past, the NEA has responded to national emergencies, including disaster relief in the wake of September 11th, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the devastating tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri, and Tupelo, Mississippi. We are coordinating with the Texas Commission on the Arts and the Division of the Arts in the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development to assess the situation and those arts organizations hardest hit by Hurricane Harvey. As the current situation stabilizes, the National Endowment for the Arts is prepared to direct additional funds to these state arts agencies for re-granting to affected organizations, as we have done in the past. For more information and resources: FEMA USA.gov