The National Endowment for the Arts has announced its latest round of grants to support the Arts in Delaware.
The National Endowment for the Arts supports arts activities in all 50 states and five U.S. jurisdictions.
This year, it’s delivering about $729,000 in federal grants to three Delaware organizations, including the Division of the Arts
The NEA grant to the Delaware Division of the Arts is just over $689,000 -- and its director Paul Weagraff says that’s significant.
“The grant that we received from the National Endowment for the Arts is our State partnership grant. This year, assuming the Governor’s budget is approved as it was proposed, the federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts will represent about 17% of our budget. So that’s a significant portion of our revenue that goes to support arts programming throughout the State,” said Weagraff.
Weagraff calls this funding crucial.
“Federal funding, especially for Arts organizations like the grant, it not only provides them with additional resources to do the programming that they do, but it also serves as an endorsement of the quality of work that they’re doing,” Weagraff said.
Other NEA grants are headed to the Delaware Art Museum and the Grand Opera House. They received Art Works - Presenting and Multidisciplinary Works grants in the amount of $25,000 and $15,000, respectively.
Weagraff says federal funding is imperative to keep the Arts alive.
