NEA Grant Awarded to TPS

Theatre Puget Sound was selected to receive one of the 162 grants of $10,000 awarded to organizations in 46 states, plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The grant will directly support Theatre Puget Sound's Arts Crush festival. This marks Theatre Puget Sound's first grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

As National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman has noted, "Art works everywhere," which is why the NEA's Challenge America Fast-Track (CAFT) program supports projects from primarily small and mid-sized arts organizations that extend the reach of the arts to underserved audiences-those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. 

 

Arts Crush is a month-long, multi-disciplinary festival that represents a truly innovative and collaborative approach to audience engagement by unifying the arts community around four overarching goals: Engaging Community, Creating Access, Inspiring Creativity and Building Audiences. The festival takes place each October, involves more than 100 arts organizations and local businesses, and features hundreds of free events, special discounts and once-a-year interactive arts opportunities for all ages.

 

"Taken together, these Challenge America Fast-Track grants provide an extraordinary sampling of the work that arts organizations do to reach underserved communities," said Chairman Landesman. "With these grants, we are helping to ensure that art works for all Americans."

 

"Theatre Puget Sound is honored to be recognized by the NEA," said Theatre Puget Sound Deputy Director Sam Read.  "We are so proud of what our community has achieved with Arts Crush.  This grant will allow us to increase the visibility and impact of the festival and further extend our invitation for active community participation in the arts."

 

The program is called Fast-Track because of its expedited review timeline. Theatre Puget Sound was notified approximately six months after applying. Also, with 375 eligible applications submitted from across the country, there was significant competition for funding for these grants. Theatre Puget Sound's grant award is evidence of the artistic excellence and artistic merit of Arts Crush.