Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced $298,000 in grants from the National Endowment for the Art (NEA) to support 11 organizations in Maine’s First District. NEA announced a total of $37 million to support 1,474 arts programs across the U.S.

“From painting and music to theater and literature, the arts are woven into the fabric of Maine’s history, culture, and economy. Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts are essential to ensuring that arts programs across the country have the resources to engage, inspire, and strengthen the communities they serve,” said Congresswoman Pingree, Co-Chair of the Congressional Arts Caucus. “As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees the NEA, I’ve seen firsthand how investments in the arts empower individuals and transform entire communities. I’m proud to support this funding, which will go a long way in advancing the missions of these deserving Maine organizations and preserving the creative spirit that defines our state.”

“The NEA is proud to continue our nearly 60 years of supporting the efforts of organizations and artists that help to shape our country’s vibrant arts sector and communities of all types across our nation,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “It is inspiring to see the wide range of creative projects taking place—those that address our past and help us consider our future, integrate arts and culture in new ways into our lives and communities, and provide powerful opportunities for people throughout our nation to come together through a shared arts experience.”

The 10 First District projects receiving funding are as follows:

• $15,000 for the Bowdoin International Music Festival (Brunswick) to support the festival’s Chamber Music Educational Institute
• $20,000 for the annual Salt Bay Chamberfest (Damariscotta)
• $45,000 for the Alice James Poetry Cooperative, Inc. (New Gloucester) to support the publication and promotion of poetry titles
• $30,000 for the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts (Newcastle) to support a mentor and mentee artist residency program
• $20,000 for the Maine Academy of Modern Music (Portland) to support the annual Resurgam Music and Arts Festival
• $20,000 for Mayo Street Arts (Portland) to support an international puppetry festival 
• $55,000 for Portland Ovations (Portland) to support a multidisciplinary performing arts series
• $15,000 Portland Stage Company, Inc. (Portland) to support the premier production of “Madeleines” by Bess Welden
• $10,000 for TEMPOart Portland (Portland) to support a temporary art installation
• $45,000 for the Camden International Film Festival (Rockport) to support professional development programming for nonfiction filmmakers and media artists
• $23,000 for Maine Crafts Association (West Gardiner) to support a master-apprenticeship program for contemporary craft artists

This latest round of NEA grants also includes funding for four projects in Maine’s Second District.

Pingree is Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, which oversees funding for NEA. As Chair of the Subcommittee in the 117th Congress, Pingree oversaw an Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2023 that dedicated the highest-ever level of funding for the arts and humanities, including $207 million each for the NEA and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States.

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