NEA Press Release
Arts Huntsville to Receive $100,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
– Funding to expand the work of the North Alabama Arts Education Collaborative –
Huntsville, AL — National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Mary Anne Carter has approved more than $84 million in grants as part of the Arts Endowment’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2020. Included in this announcement is an Art Works award of $100,000 to Arts Huntsville for the North Alabama Arts Education Collaborative’s planning process for rural schools in its six school district service area. The two-year collective impact project will support the development of a plan for arts-based instruction in area schools. This is one of 1,015 grants nationwide that the agency has approved in this category.
“These awards demonstrate the resilience of the arts in America, showcasing not only the creativity of their arts projects but the organizations’ agility in the face of a national health crisis,” said Mary Anne Carter, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “We celebrate organizations like Arts Huntsville and the North Alabama Arts Education Collaborative for providing opportunities for learning and engagement through the arts in these times.”
“Since its creation in 2018, the North Alabama Arts Education Collaborative has partnered with teachers and administrators in Madison County, Limestone County, Huntsville City and Athens City Schools to expand arts-based learning for area students,” said Karen Anderson, director of the North Alabama Arts Education Collaborative. “To date, this program has been supported by the Alabama State Council on the Arts through support from the Alabama State Legislature. With new support from the National Endowment for the Arts, we will expand this work in our rural schools while continuing our programs and services across all six school districts in our service area.”
The North Alabama Arts Education Collaborative is based at Arts Huntsville and is one of three pilot initiatives in the state partnering with both the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the Alabama State Department of Education to advance the Alabama Plan for Arts Education. Through the National Endowment for the Arts grant, Arts Huntsville will work collectively with school and community partners to develop a common agenda and plan that will be supported by professional development programs for teachers and artists and tracked through shared evaluation and assessment.
“I was honored to help announce the launch of the North Alabama Arts Education Collaborative in 2018 and believe that arts instruction is key in a child’s overall development,” said Alabama Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon. “The arts strengthen our students’ social and emotional learning and also teach the creativity necessary to conceive solutions for a better tomorrow. We are proud of the National Endowment for the Arts’ investment in the good work happening in our state.”
The North Alabama Arts Education Collaborative’s work with area students and school partners continues this summer through virtual lessons available via Arts Huntsville’s social media channels. The Collaborative is also working with school and community partners to provide additional arts education opportunities, planning and professional development in July 2020 as educators plan for the 2020-21 academic year.
To learn more about the North Alabama Arts Education Collaborative, visit www.artshuntsville.org. For more information on this National Endowment for the Arts grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
Arts Huntsville is a non-profit organization founded in 1962 to stimulate and support community creativity and engagement by advancing the arts, entertainment and culture to enrich quality of life, education, and economic development in the greater Huntsville metropolitan region. With more than 290 member arts organizations, individual artists, arts patrons, and other arts-minded non-profits, companies, and technical and professional organizations, Arts Huntsville focuses on four core program areas while serving as the service organization for area arts groups and individual artists, providing them with resources and tools to ensure their success.
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