Tonko announces $85K in awards to arts programs
ALBANY, N.Y. » Congressman Paul D. Tonko announced four Capital Region organizations are being awarded a combined $85,000 by the National Endowment for the Arts to support their efforts to foster music, arts and culture.
“Our Capital Region heritage, culture and economy stand on the shoulders of countless local artists, innovators, visionaries, and the organizations that encourage and support their work,” Congressman Tonko said.
“Fostering a strong Capital Region creative economy supports great arts and culture here, but it also means more good jobs, stronger growth and innovation, and adds a precious measure of vibrancy to the fabric of our communities. My heartfelt congratulations to these deserving organizations and leaders in creativity for their success and for their vital work that helps make this such a special place.
“My thanks to the National Endowment for the Arts for this worthy investment in our community.”
Organizations receiving funding:
• Media Alliance, Inc, also known as the Sanctuary for Independent Media, in Troy, N.Y. is being awarded $15,000 to support a series of multidisciplinary artist residencies.
• Albany Symphony Orchestra in Albany, N.Y. is being awarded $25,000 to support the American Music Festival.
• Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. is being awarded $20,000 in funding to support the Skidmore Jazz Institute.
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. is being awarded $25,000 to support an artist residency and commissioning at the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC).
Established in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that provides funding to programs to promote equal participation in the arts and development of creativity to communities throughout the country.
For this round of funding for FY2020, the agency approved 1,187 grants totaling $27.3 million. The National Endowment for the Arts estimated that arts and cultural production generate more than $800 billion to the U. S. economy each year.