National Endowment for the Arts FY 2017 Fall Grant Announcement

Art Works: Creativity Connects
Number of Grants: 37 Total Dollar Amount: $2,500,000
American Institute of Graphic Arts (aka AIGA)
$90,000 New York, NY
To support Design for Democracy, a program partnership with the League of Women Voters (LWV). Both entities
share national reach and a non-partisan commitment to civic engagement through voter education, registration,
access, and participation. With the premise that good design makes for clear choices, AIGA and LWV will develop
a range of new educational graphics, toolkits, field guides, and local events. Design for Democracy will tap into
AIGA's 70 chapters (26,000 members) and the LWV's 800 affiliates to harness new ideas and resources towards
a robust national awareness campaign.
Anchorage Museum Association (aka Anchorage Museum)
$60,000 Anchorage, AK
To support the creation and presentation of a series of virtual environments that will explore the ecology of the
Arctic in partnership with the Alaska Center for Conservation Science. Through augmented reality and other
experimental technologies, the organizations will work with artists and scientists on a series of projects including
informal and formal exhibitions, events, and online presentations that will engage the public in immersive virtual
environments as a way to convey the complexity of the Northern landscape through curated experiences. Artist
John Grade will create a sculptural installation that represents a pingo, a naturally occurring land formation in
the Arctic tundra. Visitors will experience the pingo environment as tactile sculptures while also using
augmented reality glasses-turning the room into an Arctic experience with imagery and sound. Additionally, the
artist duo Lead Pencil will present "Ephemeral State," a research-based art project using developing
technologies to explore the many iterations of water.
ART 180
$50,000 Richmond, VA
To support the Youth Self Advocacy Through Art project, in partnership with the Legal Aid Justice Center. The
program will combine creative youth development experiences with legal expertise to address juvenile justice
reform and build leadership among young people across Virginia. Incarcerated youth will work with artists
across the country and lawyers from the Legal Aid Justice Center to produce media campaigns and exhibitions
designed to spark dialogue and inspire action on the causes, impacts, and alternatives to the juvenile justice
system. Recognizing the invisibility and marginalization incarcerated youth face, the project will connect their
stories and ideas with artists, community activists, and legal experts, elevating the voices of youth most
affected, supporting their ability to be self-advocates for reform, and through the partnership, providing the
materials and momentum needed to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline.
Art Institute of Chicago (aka The School of the Art Institute of Chicago) (On behalf of School of the Art
Institute of Chicago)
$70,000 Chicago, IL
To support the research and planning for the remounting of artist Joseph Beuys's (1921-86) large-scale public art
project "7000 Oaks" in Chicago, in conjunction with the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance. The project is being
envisioned as a citywide educational program for youth to address urban violence. A consultant will be hired to
conduct research, obtain community input, and write an implementation plan during the planning phase. A
project coordinator will be also be identified to work with residents to ensure that the project addresses the
needs of the community. Project personnel will identify key organizational partners, and research and strategize
ways in which neighborhood youth, with SAIC students and faculty, will plant 7,000 trees in parks across the city,
Some details of the projects listed are subject to change, contingent upon prior Arts Endowment approval. Information is current as of
December 7, 2016.