FirstWorks Awarded $60,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

FirstWorks Awarded $60,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

FirstWorks has been awarded an Art Works award of $60,000.

National Endowment for the Arts has approved more than $84 million in grants as part of the Arts Endowment’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2020.

FirstWorks’s award is one of 1,015 grants nationwide that the agency has approved in this category.

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“These awards demonstrate the resilience of the arts in America, showcasing not only the creativity of their arts projects but the organizations’ agility in the face of a national health crisis,” said Mary Anne Carter, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “We celebrate organizations like FirstWorks for providing opportunities for learning and engagement through the arts in these times.”

“NEA support has been pivotal to FirstWorks’ growth since our founding in 2004. FirstWorks is honored to receive this award to create inclusive cultural experiences around artistic performances of the highest level of excellence,” said FirstWorks Executive Artistic Director, Kathleen Pletcher. “We are thrilled that our work to connect Rhode Island audiences with relevant, mind-opening arts experiences is recognized on a national scale and thank the NEA for their continuing investment and confidence in our mission.”

FirstWorks’ Art Works award will support the arts organization in amplifying diverse voices and celebrating difference through both virtual and live programming. Responding to the changing needs of our students, teachers, audiences, and community during COVID-19, FirstWorks is swiftly pivoting to develop online initiatives, to continue offering world-class live arts experiences.

One such program, the FirstWorks Virtual Stage, will feature special projects and new works by local and global artists, allowing Rhode Islanders to Experience the Arts Wherever You Are. The Art Works award will also support FirstWorks’ education program including student matinees, workshops, creative conversations and film screenings. The organization’s engagement model creates multiple access points for audiences of all backgrounds, for shared experiences of music, dance, and new media arts; FirstWorks is committed to encouraging all to Raise Your Voice.