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NMI Arts Council wins $25K grant from NEA
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Posted on Apr 23 2009
[B]WASHINGTON, D.C.[/B]—CNMI Rep. Gregorio “Kilili” C. Sablan said yesterday that a $25,000 one-time grant has been made available to the Commonwealth Council for Arts and Culture, a division of the CNMI’s Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, to fund one full-time employee.
The money is distributed by the National Endowment of the Arts and is the first of the agency’s grants awarded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed by Congress in February.
“Congratulations to the Commonwealth Council for Arts and Culture on their grant award,” said Sablan. “For any culture to flourish the arts should always be a priority, but during these tough economic times arts funding may fall by the wayside. …It is great news that the Arts Council won this grant, which will help it to fulfill its important mission of promoting and preserving the Marianas’ rich heritage.”
With funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the National Endowment for the Arts is providing one-time grants to state arts agencies and regional arts organizations to support the arts sector of the economy. The grants must be used to preserve jobs in the arts that are in jeopardy or have been eliminated as a result of the current economic climate.
The grant will be used to fund a full-time Federal Programs Coordinator, says Cecilia T. Celis, Secretary of the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs.
“With this grant, the Arts Council will be able to fund one employee whose job would otherwise have been lost,” says Sablan. “This funding will help enrich the lives of our citizens and expand our cultural horizons, while also stimulating our local economy.”
For more information about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and about funding for the Northern Marianas go to http://sablan.house.gov.
