NEA AWARDS $3 MILLION TO COLORADO ARTS ORGS

Two dozen Colorado arts organizations will receive more than $3 million in grants from the second round of 2020 funding at the National Endowment for the Arts, officials from the Washington, D.C.-based agency said this week.

“Colorado has a large, diverse and rich arts scene that supports thousands of jobs across the state,” said Margaret Hunt, director of Colorado Creative Industries, in a press statement. “As Coloradans work together to restart our economy, these grants play an important role in fueling Colorado’s creative expression and Colorado’s creative economy at a critical time.”

Winners, who submitted applications last summer, include the producers of the Aspen Music Festival and School ($25,000) and Vail Dance Festival ($30,000); Boulder Opera ($20,000); Chamber Orchestra of the

Springs ($10,000); Colorado Ballet ($10,000); Opera Colorado ($20,000); Phamaly Theatre Company ($25,000); and Pueblo Performing Arts Guild ($30,000).

Colorado Creative Industries, which will get $772,100, and Western States Art Federation, which gets $1.7 million, both plan to redistribute their money to smaller organizations. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis has reported that arts and cultural production account for at least $14.5 billion, or 4.4%, of the Colorado economy and support 103,274 jobs. Colorado ranks No. 1 in the percentage of residents who personally perform or create artworks, the NEA said.

Visit arts.gov/ news/2020 to view the full list of grant winners.