Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga

Allied Arts Receives $100,000 in Stimulus Funds from The National Endowment for the Arts
Posted on Nov 05 2009 Back
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has awarded Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga $100,000 to be used to preserve jobs within local arts agencies. The funds are available as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and distributed through the National Endowment for the Arts. The grant funds provide federal assistance for the sole purpose of protecting and preserving jobs in the nonprofit arts sector that are threatened by the current economic downturn. Chattanooga was one of 16 arts organizations in the country to be awarded the NEA ARRA funds for the purpose of re-granting at a local level. The grants will help ensure that the arts and arts education continue to be widely available in the Chattanooga area.

“We are very honored and pleased to receive this much needed support from the National Endowment,” remarked Nick Decosimo, Board Chair of Allied Arts. “The quality and impact of the arts in our community has never been greater. The economic downturn has affected our arts community just as it has other business sectors. This grant will help maintain Chattanooga arts organizations, the foundation of our arts community, at current levels.”

To receive NEA stimulus funds, organizations must have received a grant from the National Endowment within the last five years. Allied Arts has received four NEA grants since 2005. Allied Arts’ NEA grants have provided support for arts and literacy instruction for area students, arts programs within Chattanooga Parks and Recreation Centers.

“The National Endowment has been very supportive of our efforts to make the arts accessible to young people in schools and in recreation centers,” Decosimo continued. “Allied Arts has built a strong relationship with the NEA and to be a recipient of these grants funds demonstrates their faith in Allied Arts as responsible stewards of taxpayers’ dollars.”

Robert Lynch, President of Americans for the Arts, concurred. “In Chattanooga and across the country, the arts equal jobs. I congratulate Allied Arts for their fine work and their ability to effectively re-grant the stimulus funds to meet the needs of their local community.”

A community panel met with Allied Arts’ staff to review grants that preserve a total of 52 contract and full time artistic, administrative and educational positions within 8 local arts organizations. Arts organizations receiving funds are Ballet Tennessee, Chattanooga Boys Choir, Chattanooga Girls Choir, Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Choral Arts of Chattanooga, Creative Discovery Museum, and Shaking Ray Levi Society. The elimination of these positions would have impeded the organizations from fulfilling their artistic and public service goals.
Last changed: Nov 05 2009 at 2:32 PM
Back

Allied Arts Receives $100,000 in Stimulus Funds from The National Endowment for the Arts