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Higgins announces $150,000 in federal funding for WNY art & cultural agencies

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Thu, Dec 15th 2016 07:55 pm

Grants awarded through National Endowment for the Arts

Congressman Brian Higgins, D-NY-26, announced six Western New York art and cultural organizations will receive federal grants through the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) totaling $150,000.

"Western New York is home to a rich and diverse collection of cultural agencies, which contribute to the fabric of the community and our local economy," Higgins said. "This federal investment will allow for the expansion and enrichment of cultural offerings available to the public."

Below is a summary of the local awards:

Squeaky Wheel Film & Media Art Center - $15,000 to support the Buffalo Youth Media Institute

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra - $10,000 to support "An American Siddhartha" performance featuring collaboration between Lehrer Dance and the BPO

CEPA Gallery - $15,000 toward expansion of the Partner Schools program

Just Buffalo Literary Center - $70,000 to support Read ÷ Seed ÷ Write, a collaboration with Grassroots Gardens of Buffalo featuring a coming-together of literature and community gardening

University at Buffalo Center for the Arts - $30,000 to support the "Wanderlust" exhibition featuring hands-on learning with visiting artists, public lectures and professional development for K-12 art teachers

White Pine Press - $10,000 toward the promotion of books of poetry and prose

Local agencies received funding through the NEA's Art Works program, which "supports the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening of communities through the arts."

Nationwide, 970 grants totaling close to $26 million were awarded through the Art Works program.

Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is the largest national funder of the arts in the U.S. On average, every dollar in NEA funding leverages another $9 in arts funding from other sources. Nationally, the nonprofit arts industry generates $135.2 billion annually in economic activity.

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