MARWEN RECIPIENT OF THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS (NEA) CARES ACT FUNDING
The 33-year-old creative youth development organization was one of 855 organizations nationwide and one of 12 in Chicago to receive funds.
(Chicago, IL – August 10, 2020) The National Endowment for the Arts announced the recipients for direct funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Marwen was one of 855 organizations nationwide to receive a portion of $44.5 million to support staff salaries, fees for artists or contractual personnel, and facilities costs. Marwen’s CARES Act funds, which total $50,000, will go directly to paying Teaching Artists and young people.
“The impact of COVID19 has reinforced the equity issues disproportionately affecting artists,” said Akilah Halley, Marwen’s Executive Director and alumna. “As artists search for resources to sustain themselves and their communities during this time of extreme uncertainty, we are reminded of the securities afforded to some but not all. How can we support our local artists that so often find themselves in positions of hardship?”
“Given the role that community-based artists hold as change agents and conveners in our communities, Marwen is investing in our community of teaching artists, while continuing to provide high quality arts programming to young people across the city,” added Alexandra Field, Marwen’s Director of Development. “While our building may be closed and social distancing guidelines continue to deter our previously planned programming, Marwen is building a portfolio of responsive and adaptive artistic engagement opportunities.”
In keeping with the tenets of Creative Youth Development, Marwen’s summer virtual programs were co-created by a cohort of seven Teaching Artists and young people, in collaboration with staff. Partnering with young people to co-design and experiment on our digital engagement through a community-based approach will lead to programs that deliver meaningful impact for our students during a tumultuous time.
While the digital sphere is new to Marwen, we are committed to providing artistic opportunities that create financial sustainability for our community of Teaching Artists and continual artistic engagement for our young people.
About the CARES Act
Grants of $50,000 were offered to 846 organizations while nine local arts agencies will receive $250,000 each to further award to arts organizations in their area. The National Endowment for the Arts received more than 3,100 eligible applications requesting $157 million for the $45 million available in direct assistance.
“All of us at the National Endowment for the Arts are keenly aware that arts organizations across the country are hurting, struggling, and trying to survive and that our supply of funding does not come close to meeting the demand for assistance,” said Arts Endowment Chairman Mary Anne Carter. “That said, I am enormously proud of the over-and-above efforts of the Arts Endowment staff to swiftly and professionally manage such a large amount of additional work in a relatively short period of time on behalf of the American public.”
These awardees represent the diverse nature of arts organizations around the country. Overall funding is divided nearly evenly between small, medium, and large arts organizations. Arts and culture are a key component of the U.S. economy that contribute $877.8 billion, or 4.5 percent, to the nation’s gross domestic product in 2017 and employ over 5 million wage‐and‐salary workers who collectively earned $405 billion. This funding will help support those jobs and those nonprofit organizations during this time of great need so that arts and culture will persevere as a significant contributor to the American economy. See full press release here.
About Marwen
Since 1987, Marwen has educated and inspired young people from Chicago’s under-resourced communities and schools through the visual arts. Marwen provides free visual art courses, college planning, and career development programs to 6-12th graders from across the city. For more information visit marwen.org.
About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more.
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