National Endowment for the Arts FY 2017 Fall Grant Announcement

Tulane University (aka Adminstrators of the Tulane Educational Fund)
$80,000 New Orleans, LA
To support supplemental features for the radio show "American Roots." Interviews and performances from
traditional musicians, who are relatively unknown outside of their communities, will be recorded and broadcast
along with performances from nationally recognized artists to demonstrate how their work has influenced each
other. The program will feature performances and interviews from artists such as blues musician Bud Welch and
NEA National Heritage Fellow Sheila Kay Adams. Additionally, live concerts of traditional music will be recorded
and edited for broadcast, including the Baton Rouge Blues Festival and a performance of American musicians on
a cultural diplomacy tour in China.
University of Virginia (On behalf of Virginia Foundation for the Humanities)
$50,000 Charlottesville, VA
To support the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. An
experienced master artist will be paired with an apprentice for a long-term learning experience, ensuring that
the art forms are passed on in ways that are conscientious of history and faithful to tradition. The apprenticeship
will begin with a showcase that introduces the new master/apprentice teams to the public and conclude with a
graduation for those teams at the completion of their studies. Apprenticeships have included folk arts with a
long history in Virginia, such as Appalachian fiddling, but also traditions that are relatively new to the state, such
as Persian drumming.
Voice of Roma (aka VOR)
$35,000 Sebastopol, CA
To support Opre Khetanes! (Rise Up Together!), an exploration of Romani music and culture. A symposium at
New York University will assemble scholars of Romani culture to present papers, lead discussions, and screen
films concerned with Romani music and cultural representation. Additionally, a multi-city tour of Romani artists,
including NEA National Heritage Fellow Nicolae Feraru, will begin at the symposium and conclude at the Voice of
Roma's annual Herdeljezi Festival in San Francisco.
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (aka Washington State Parks)
$20,000 Olympia, WA
To support Celebrating Cultures. A series of festivals and concerts featuring performances from various cultural
communities in Washington State will be scheduled at various state parks. The programs are likely to include
concerts of African-American gospel music, Irish and Danish fiddle traditions, and Tejano conjunto music. Other
programming will include bluegrass music and square dancing from the Appalachian Mountains of the
Southeastern United States; music and dance from South Asia; and music, dance, and craft demonstrations by
Native Americans. The project will raise the visibility of the state parks while strengthening cultural identities
and fostering cross-cultural respect and appreciation.
Western Kentucky University Research Foundation, Inc.
$40,000 Bowling Green, KY
To support "The Things We Carry: Expressing the Bosnian Experience in Bowling Green." The folk art and
traditions of Bowling Green's Bosnian immigrant community will be celebrated with an exhibit and public
programing at the university's Kentucky Museum. The exhibit will feature traditional dress, textile arts,
foodways, and religious practices. Public programing will include traditional music and dance. "The Things We
Carry" will address the ways traditional art may serve as an expression of identity and survival for refugees and
immigrant populations.
Some details of the projects listed are subject to change, contingent upon prior Arts Endowment approval. Information is current as of
December 7, 2016.