ArtsGreensboro Receives $100,000 Grant from National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)

The organization’s first NEA grant in over a decade will fund “Fabric of Freedom” during the National Folk Festival


"Greensboro, N.C., July 16, 2014 — The National Endowment for the Arts announced today that ArtsGreensboro has received a $100,000 “Our Town” grant for its Fabric of Freedom initiative, which will be presented in conjunction with the upcoming National Folk Festival.
ArtsGreensboro President and CEO Tom Philion said, “This is the first NEA grant ArtsGreensboro has received in more than a decade. We are delighted that the NEA has recognized Greensboro’s unique place in the history of our nation, and will help us celebrate that by funding the Fabric of Freedom project.”
A multidisciplinary arts festival within the National Folk Festival, The Fabric of Freedom will highlight Greensboro’s leadership role in Americans’ quest for freedom:

·      beginning with its Quaker roots and the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in the 18th century;
·      encompassing its emergence as a textile, transportation, and furniture center in the 19th century;
·      honoring its role as the birthplace of the Sit-In Movement and as a Civil Right leader in the 20th century; and
·      recognizing the city as a haven for immigrant and refugee populations in the 21st century.

Performances and community activities addressing the issues of civil rights, equality, and freedom will take place at sites throughout Greensboro. Working with a host of partners including the National Council for Traditional Arts, the City of Greensboro, the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, Guilford College, and North Carolina A&T State University, ArtsGreensboro will invite performers and artists based on the Fabric of Freedom theme.
The NEA’s Our Town grants program provides a platform for diverse populations to engage in arts activities that help to define a future vision for their community. All Our Town grant awards are made to partnerships that include at least one nonprofit organization and a local government entity. Each of the recommended grants speaks to the role of arts practitioners and partners in building greater livability across a range of geographies and community types. Many communities have used these grants to support multi-partner, anchor investments in their communities' future.
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About ArtsGreensboro

With an annual budget of nearly $1.8 million, ArtsGreensboro is a catalyst for innovation to build recognition and support for the arts. Through the 17 DAYS Arts& Culture Festival, power2give, and other opportunities like the National Folk Festival, ArtsGreensboro is driving the health and vitality of our community through support for arts education, celebrating the diversity of Greensboro, and supporting economic impact through excellence in arts programming."
A Press Release

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