WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will award a total of $856,300 in grant funding to arts programs throughout Maine to encourage artistic creativity and foster innovation in Maine communities. The grants will support a wide range of programs that support public art, museums, and performances.

“Maine has a long and storied tradition of gifted artists and dedicated patrons of the arts, and we are fortunate to have so many passionate organizations continuing this tradition today,” Senators Collins and King said in a joint statement. “These grants will help develop and maintain our state’s vibrant culture, support artistic expression in Maine communities, and encourage future generations of artists to realize their potential.”

These grants are part of a larger $82 million announcement from the NEA that will support arts projects nationwide – a total of 1,195 grants are being awarded in all fifty states. With this funding, the agency will further its mission to support local programs and partnerships, expand the cultural resources of our state, and encourage participation in the arts. The NEA was established by Congress in 1965, and has since awarded more than $5 billion to organizations and individuals supporting the arts in their communities.  For more information on the NEA, go to arts.gov.

Many of the Maine awardees have previously received grants from the NEA.  The full list of Maine awardees is below:

• Maine Arts Commission in Augusta will receive $741,300 to support Partnership Agreement Activities.

• L.A. Public Theatre, Inc. in Lewiston will receive $10,000 to support the development and production of "My Mother's Clothes Are Not My Mother" by Maine writer Elizabeth Peavey.

• Portland Ovations in Portland will receive $10,000 to support the presentation of multidisciplinary artists and accompanying activities.

• SPACE Gallery in Portland will receive $20,000 to support an artist residency program for emerging and mid-career artists.

• Telling Room in Portland will receive $10,000 to support the Young Writers and Leaders Program.

• Terra Moto Inc. in South Portland will receive $50,000 to support Art at Work's Part I: Maine USA. As many as 20 Maine communities will create a unique performance event that reflects their particular perspective on a U.S. historical event or theme.

• Seal Bay Festival on Vinalhaven will receive $10,000 to support the annual summer chamber music festival and Institute of Contemporary American Music.

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