Focus: HOPE through the Eyes of DonRico Hawkins

Boy photographing a girl in a yard.

DonRico Hawkins (left), a participant in the Focus: HOPE Excel Photography program in Detroit, Michigan. Photo courtesy of Annette Vanover, Focus: HOPE

HOPE's Excel Photography program in Detroit through the eyes of participant DonRico Hawkins, Jr.
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National Endowment for the Arts Statement on the Death of National Heritage Fellow Grant Bulltail

A man in Native American regalia sits on a stage across from a woman. An image of a buffalo is on the screen behind them.
It is with great sadness that the National Endowment for the Arts acknowledges the death of Crow storyteller Grant Bulltail, from Crow Agency, Montana, recipient of a 2019 National Heritage Fellowship, the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.

Focus: HOPE Excel Photography Program

Young African-American youth standing next to his artwork; young African-American girl in red hat.

DonRico Hawkins (left) and Kristian Varano, participants in the Focus: HOPE Excel Photography program in Detroit, Michigan. Photos courtesy of Annette Vanover, Focus: HOPE

For years, Arts Endowment grantee Focus: HOPE's Excel Photography program has educated and empowered middle-school students through the art of documenting how they see Detroit.
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Missoula Children's Theatre

Children in black tee-shirts dancing around.

Children performing at Missoula Children's Theatre's Performing Arts Camp. Photo by Megan Brown

Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT) introduces kids around the country to the wonders of performing.  MCT’s little red truck arrives and is fully loaded: from script to costumes to sets. The only thing they need is the cast—which they find in the local children.
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We Need Darkness to See the Stars

A man playing a violin stands next to a woman speaking into a microphone

Vijay Gupta and Street Symphony composer-in-residence Reena Esmail. Photo by Kat Bawden

Of all his accomplishments (so far), establishing Street Symphony perhaps best encompasses both Vijay Gupta’s artistic vision and his tremendous generosity and humbleness.
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The Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative

Schematic for a housing development design
Housing designs for the Akwesasne Tribe, New York. Image courtesy of the Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative
Arts Endowment grantee Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative has been working in Indian Country since 2009, developing affordable, environmentally sustainable, and culturally responsive housing.
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True Story Theater: Building Community One Story at a Time

Three men and women outstretch their arms and give big smiles

Participants of True Story Theater, an NEA grantee based in Arlington, Massachusetts. Photo courtesy of True Story Theater

Working with its hometown of Arlington, Massachusetts, and with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, True Story Theater has created themed performances about issues from city planning to motherhood, from aging-in-place to opioid addiction.
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Making Godzilla: Bringing the Arts to Pediatric Patients in Chicago

A boy in a hospital bed talks to a man working with Godzilla action figures as they direct a stop-motion film about Godzilla together

Nicholas (right) directs teaching artist Jon Stein for Nicholas's second stop-motion film created through the Snow City Arts program in Chicago, Illinois, which provides arts instruction to hospitalized children. Photo by John Lyons

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Hidden in Plain Sight

Woman singing in front of large crowd.
The National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program is a national program that works with regional organizations to help artists reach new audiences, provides funding for presenters eager to introduce a diverse array of performers to their communities, and enables underserved community residents to connect with live performing arts.
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A Journey of Culture: The Tribal Canoe Journey in Olympia, Washington

A group of canoe families conclude their journey, preparing to land on the shore of North Point in the Port of Olympia, Washington. Photo courtesy of ThurstonTalk.com

A group of canoe families conclude their journey, preparing to land on the shore of North Point in the Port of Olympia, Washington. Each canoe family took their turn asking permission to land. As the host, the Squaxin Island Tribe granted each canoe landing permission. On the shore are thousands of cheering spectators, dancers, and dignitaries who wait to welcome and congratulate the "Paddle to Squaxin 2012" participants. Photo courtesy of ThurstonTalk.com

The annual Tribal Canoe Journey has grown to become the largest gathering of Native Americans in the western Washington State region. In 2011, the NEA awarded an Our Town grant to Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, to support numerous artmaking workshops where community members crafted traditional art in preparation for the annual Canoe Journey. 
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