Press Releases

Washington, DC — Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) announced that the National Endowment for the Arts has approved more than $27 million in grants as part of the Arts Endowment’s first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2019.  Included in this announcement are two Art Works grants totaling $45,000 to the Fitchburg Art Museum ($25,000) and Arts Are Essential, Inc. ($20,000) in Acton, MA. Art Works is the Arts Endowment’s principal grantmaking program. The agency received 1,605 Art Works applications for this round of grantmaking and will award 972 grants in this category.

“I applaud the Fitchburg Art Museum and Arts Are Essential, Inc. for working to secure these NEA grants. The fact that Massachusetts’ 3^rd District received two awards serves as a testament to the creativity and ingenuity that is spread throughout our communities. The arts have a powerful way of fostering self-expression, connecting communities, and expanding the way we look at the world around us. These projects are a strong reminder that we must continue to invest in the arts and arts education. I am proud to be an ally of the NEA, which serves an invaluable role in bringing arts and culture to every corner of our region, state, and country,” said Rep. Trahan.  

“The Fitchburg Art Museum is very proud to receive this recognition from the National Endowment for the Arts. ‘Fire and Light: Otto Piene in Groton, 1983-2014’ is an exciting opportunity for FAM to share the work of this internationally-renowned artist who lived in our District for over 30 years. This is the largest U.S. solo exhibition of Piene’s work to date, presenting several major bodies of work that he created during his time at his studio and farm in Groton, and includes a light ballet, immersive light environment, fire paintings, and works on paper. Thank you to the National Endowment for the Arts for supporting this exhibition that highlights the richness of our District’s cultural offerings,” said Nick Capasso, Director of the Fitchburg Art Museum.  

“We are very grateful for the NEA’s continued support for Guy Mendilow’s project, The Forgotten Kingdom with the Guy Mendilow Ensemble. This year’s $20,000 award is a continuation award of our $10,000 initial NEA Art Works Award. Guy Mendilow, an Arts Are Essential artist, has expanded his music performances and compositions for The Forgotten Kingdom by including Ukraine's visual story teller, award winning Sand Artist, Kseniya Simonova. The songs’ stories will be told through videos of Kseniya’s sand paintings,” said Jean Butler, President of Arts Are Essential, Inc.

“The arts enhance our communities and our lives, and we look forward to seeing these projects take place throughout the country, giving Americans opportunities to learn, to create, to heal, and to celebrate,” said Mary Anne Carter, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Fitchburg Art Museum will use the funds to support the exhibition Fire and Light: Otto Piene's Groton 1983-2014 and an accompanying catalogue. You can learn more about the exhibition here:

Arts Are Essential, Inc. will use the funds to support the creation of animation components for The Forgotten Kingdom performance project. For more details on the project visit here:

Additional information on this National Endowment for the Arts grant announcement can be found at arts.gov/news.

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