National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Rocco Landesman announced that the East Hawaii Cultural Council is one of 153 not-for-profit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Challenge America Fast-Track grant. EHCC is recommended for a $10,000 grant to support the 2013 Big Island Hawaiian Music Festival.
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Rocco Landesman announced that the East Hawaii Cultural Council is one of 153 not-for-profit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Challenge America Fast-Track grant. EHCC is recommended for a $10,000 grant to support the 2013 Big Island Hawaiian Music Festival.
In this FY 2013 funding round, the NEA received 393 eligible Challenge America Fast-Track applications, requesting a total of $3.9 million. The NEA will award 153 Challenge America Fast-Track grants totaling $1.53 million awarded to organizations in 41 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These include 49 first-time Arts Endowment grantees.
The Challenge America Fast-Track category offers support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to populations whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability.
“We are proud of the national recognition for our Big Island Hawaiian Music Festival” said Ben Kaili, festival chairman. “We’re going all out for this year’s festival on July 13 and 14 at the Civic.”
“The NEA was founded on the principle that the arts belong to all the people of the United States,” said Landesman. “We’re proud that Challenge America Fast-Track grants bring more opportunities for arts engagement to underserved communities.”
See the complete listing of projects recommended for Challenge America Fast-Track grant support at www.arts.gov.