The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) on Wednesday announced 1,187 grants totaling $27.3 million for arts organizations in every state in the nation, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, including $1,730,000 for 72 groups in the nine-county Bay Area.
National Endowment for the Arts Awards $1.7 Million to Bay Area Arts Groups
Claudio Roncoli a recipient of an award from the National Endowment for the Arts works in his studio space at the Bakehouse Art Complex on March 16, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The recipients include literary, film, dance, theater, music and visual arts organizations from granite-stepped institutions to tiny enterprises. All of the projects “connect people through shared experiences and artistic expression,” NEA chair Mary Anne Carter said in a statement.
New projects supported include San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s Dawoud Bey photography retrospective; Anne Bluethenthal and Dancers collaboration with Skywatchers ensemble, Life in the Containment Zone; playwright Ricardo Pérez González’s premiere Don’t Eat the Mangos; and choreographer Deborah Slater’s inCIVILITY: A Seat at the Table.
Grants in the “Art Works” category range $10,000-$100,000 and recognize projects that celebrate creativity and cultural heritage, while the $10,000 “Challenge America” awards support small and mid-sized organizations serving remote or marginalized populations.
President Donald Trump has for the past three years in a row proposed eliminating the NEA and its sister agency the National Endowment for the Humanities entirely. Congress has each time rejected Trump’s proposal, and last year actually boosted the agencies budgets by millions.
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Creative Capital, the New York grant-making outfit formed 20 years ago in part to counter deep 1990s cuts to the NEA, also on Wednesday announced $100,000 awards for three local artists.
Below is a complete list of the local organizations to receive NEA funding this year.
Berkeley Repertory Theatre (aka Berkeley Rep)
$50,000 Berkeley, CA
Art Works – Theater
To support the creation and development of new work in The Ground Floor program.
California Shakespeare Theater (aka Cal Shakes)
$30,000 Berkeley, CA
Art Works – Theater
To support the creation and the world premiere production of a new play by Leila Buck and Evren Odcikin, and related project activities.
Central Works
$15,000 Berkeley, CA
Art Works – Theater
To support the development and world premiere production of Tres Hermanas, a new play by Cristina Garcia.
Kala Institute
$25,000 Berkeley, CA
Art Works – Artist
Communities To support residencies for artists working in print and digital media.
Small Press Distribution, Inc. (aka SPD)
$60,000 Berkeley, CA
Art Works – Literary Arts
To support services to literary small press publishers, including the distribution and marketing of books.
Aimusic School
$20,000 Cupertino, CA
Art Works – Folk & Traditional Arts
To support performances of traditional Chinese music and related educational activities.
Healdsburg Jazz Festival, Inc. (aka Healdsburg Jazz)
$20,000 Healdsburg, CA
Art Works – Music
To support Artist and Inspiration: A Woman’s Spirit in Sound performances at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival.
API Cultural Center (aka Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC))
$10,000 Oakland, CA
Challenge America
To support a performing arts program focused on world music and traditional Vietnamese instruments
AXIS Dance Company (aka AXIS)
$30,000 Oakland, CA
Art Works – Dance
To support a national tour of dance performances and engagement activities.
Bay Area Children’s Theatre (aka BACT)
$10,000 Oakland, CA
Art Works – Theater
To support a Theatre for the Very Young production of Wheels on the Bus.
California Humanities
$20,000 Oakland, CA
Art Works – Media Arts
To support a touring program of independent films at community colleges throughout California.
Creative Growth, Inc.
$55,000 Oakland, CA
Art Works – Visual Arts
To support programming for artists with disabilities.
Destiny Arts Center (aka Destiny or Destiny Arts)
$10,000 Oakland, CA
Challenge America
To support spoken word and dance programming for youth.
Living Jazz
$10,000 Oakland, CA
Challenge America
To support a music concert honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Omnira Institute
$10,000 Oakland, CA
Challenge America
To support the Black-Eyed Pea Festival, a celebration of African-American music and art.
Project Bandaloop (aka BANDALOOP)
$10,000 Oakland, CA
Art Works – Dance
To support the creation of a comprehensive archival plan with an in-house consultant versed in digital archiving.
Transit Books
$15,000 Oakland, CA
Art Works – Literary Arts
To support the publication and promotion of books of fiction and nonfiction, including work in translation.
Djerassi Resident Artists Program
$35,000 Redwood City, CA
Art Works – Artist Communities
To support artist residencies as part of the Playwright’s Initiative.
East Bay Center for the Performing Arts
$40,000 Richmond, CA
Art Works – Arts Education
To support the Young Artist Diploma Program, a multidisciplinary arts education program for middle and high school students.
3rd I South Asian Independent Film (aka 3rd i Films)
$15,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Media Arts
To support 3rd i Films’ San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival and associated public programming.
Abada-Capoeira San Francisco
$15,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Folk & Traditional Arts
To support a series of educational workshops and a culminating performance.
American Conservatory Theatre Foundation (aka American Conservatory Theater)
$50,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Theater
To support a production of Toni Stone by Lydia R. Diamond.
Anne Bluethenthal and Dancers (aka ABD Productions)
$10,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Dance
To support the presentation of Life in the Containment Zone, directed by choreographer Anne Bluethenthal in collaboration with the ensemble Skywatchers.
Art of the Matter Performance Foundation (aka Deborah Slater Dance Theater)
$10,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Dance
To support the premiere of inCIVILITY: A Seat at the Table by choreographer Deborah Slater.
Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (aka APICC)
$10,000 San Francisco, CA
Challenge America
To support The United States of Asian America Festival, a multidisciplinary arts festival celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander American culture.
Bay Area Video Coalition, Inc. (aka BAVC)
$40,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Media Arts
To support the provision of video and audio preservation services.
California Lawyers for the Arts, Inc.
$60,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Local Arts Agencies
To support a multistate expansion of the Arts in Corrections Initiative.
Canyon Cinema Foundation (aka Canyon Cinema)
$15,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Media Arts
To support a curatorial fellowship, screening series, and national touring program of experimental film and video works.
Center for Asian American Media (aka CAAM)
$20,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Media Arts
To support CAAMFest, a media arts festival that showcases the work of Asian and Asian-American artists, and related public programming.
Center for the Art of Translation
$50,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Literary Arts
To support the publication and promotion of international literature.
Chinese Culture Foundation of San Francisco (aka Chinese Culture Center)
$40,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Visual Arts
To support an exhibition exploring issues related to gender equity, civil rights, and inclusion.
City and County of San Francisco, California
$45,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Local Arts Agencies
To support a series of visual arts exhibitions and related programming commemorating the 50th anniversary of the San Francisco Arts Commission Galleries.
CounterPulse
$15,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Dance
To support the Artist Residency and Commissioning (ARC) program, which provides space and support for emerging and mid-career choreographers.
Crowded Fire Theater Company (aka Crowded Fire)
$10,000
San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Theater
To support a production of The Displaced by Isaac Gomez.
Eyes and Ears Foundation (aka San Francisco International Arts Festival)
$10,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works
To support artist fees and travel stipends as part of the San Francisco International Arts Festival.
Flyaway Productions
$20,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Dance
To support performances of Meet Us Quickly With Your Mercy by choreographer Jo Kreiter.
foolsFURY Theater Company (aka foolsFURY)
$10,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Theater
To support the FURY Factory Festival of Ensemble and Devised Theater.
Frameline
$20,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Media Arts
To support the 44th San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival and Frameline Encore, a free year-round film exhibition program.
Golden Thread Productions
$15,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Theater
To support a co-production of At The Periphery by Sedef Ecer, in a new translation by Evren Odcikin.
Gray Area Foundation for the Arts, Inc (aka Gray Area)
$20,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Media Arts
To support the Gray Area Festival and associated public programs.
Inneract Project, Inc
$20,000 SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Art Works – Design
To support the Youth Design Academy, a series of programs introducing design concepts to middle and high school students.
Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (aka JCCSF)
$15,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works
To support arts programming components of the Re-imagine Freedom series.
Kronos Performing Arts Association (aka Kronos Quartet)
$35,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Music
To support the Kronos Festival.
Magic Theatre, Inc.
$15,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Theater
To support the world premiere production of Don’t Eat the Mangos, a new play by Ricardo Pérez González.
ODC (aka ODC/Dance)
$10,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Dance
To support the creation and presentation of Decameron, Up for Air, a new dance work by ODC/Dance.
ODC Theater
$15,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Dance
To support the creation and presentation of dance works as part of the performance series Interventions and Collaborations.
Open Architecture Collaborative, Inc.
$25,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Design
To support Pathways to Equity Fellowship, a leadership development program for community design practitioners.
Opera Parallele
$30,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Opera
To support the world premiere of a revised and re-orchestrated production of Harvey Milk by composer Stewart Wallace and librettist Michael Korie.
Other Minds
$15,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Music
To support the 25th annual Other Minds new music festival.
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale
$15,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Opera
To support performances of Aci, Galatea, e Polifemo by George Frideric Handel, with re-imagined recitatives by composer and sound designer Mark Grey.
Root Division
$25,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Visual Arts
To support the Second Saturday Exhibition Series, a collection of visual arts events and presentations of work by Bay Area artists.
San Francisco Cinematheque
$20,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Media Arts
To support public engagement activities for Crossroads 2020, a festival dedicated to experimental film, video, and performance-based cinema.
San Francisco Film Society (aka SFFILM)
$20,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Media Arts
To support the San Francisco International Film Festival and other curated film series.
San Francisco Green Film Festival (aka Green Film Fest)
$10,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Media Arts
To support the Impact Film program at the San Francisco Green Film Festival.
San Francisco Jazz Organization (aka SFJAZZ)
$30,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Music
To support the SFJAZZ Collective’s commissioning, development, and performance of new original works and touring activities.
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (aka Jewish Film Institute)
$20,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Media Arts
To support travel, theater rental, and staff costs for the Jewish Film Institute’s 40th San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (aka SFMOMA)
$45,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Museums
To support a traveling exhibition and catalogue of the work of photographer Dawoud Bey (b. 1953).
San Francisco Opera Association
$80,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Opera
To support the west coast premiere of The Handmaid’s Tale by composer Poul Ruders and librettist Paul Bentley.
San Francisco Symphony (aka SFS)
$75,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Music
To support staff salaries and artist fees for an artist-in-residence program.
Southern Exposure (aka SoEx)
$25,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Visual Arts
To support a group exhibition and a series of public programs.
Stern Grove Festival Association
$10,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works
To support artist fees for the Stern Grove Festival.
Theatre of Yugen, Incorporated (aka Theatre of Yugen)
$20,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Theater
To support the creation and performance of the Native-Noh Project, a new work exploring the intersection of the Native American and Japanese-American immigrant experiences.
Women’s Audio Mission (aka WAM)
$35,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Arts Education
To support the expansion of Girls on the Mic, a digital media arts training and mentorship program in the San Francisco Unified School District and Oakland Unified School District.
World Arts West
$60,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Dance
To support artistic fees and festival facility/production costs associated with the annual San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival.
Zaccho SF (aka Zaccho Dance Theatre)
$10,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Dance
To support the choreographer fees of artists participating in the annual San Francisco Aerial Arts Festival.
ZYZZYVA, Inc.
$10,000 San Francisco, CA
Art Works – Literary Arts
To support the publication and promotion of the journal ZYZZYVA.
Opera Cultura
$10,000 San Leandro, CA
Art Works – Opera
To support a production of Frida by composer Robert Xavier Rodriguez with book by Hilary Blecher and lyrics and monologue by Migdalia Cruz.
Alternative Theater Ensemble (aka AlterTheater Ensemble)
$10,000 San Rafael, CA
Art Works – Theater
To support the AlterLab new play development and production program.
California Film Institute (aka CFI)
$20,000 San Rafael, CA
Art Works – Media Arts
To support community engagement programs associated with the Mill Valley Film Festival.
Santa Rosa Symphony Association
$15,000 Santa Rosa, CA
Art Works – Music
To support commissioning and artist fees for a new work by Mexican composer Enrico Chapela Barba premiering at Green Music Center at Sonoma State University.
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Headlands Center for the Arts
$20,000 Sausalito, CA
Art Works – Artist Communities
To support a residency program for emerging and mid-career artists and related public programming.
