RHODE ISLAND, May 16 - The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced today its recommended grant awards of about $1.089 million to five Rhode Island-based arts and culture organizations. The allotment included $938,825 to the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) to support arts programs, services and activities associated with the NEA's strategic plan.

The other four R.I. grantees are: • Rhode Island Arts Foundation at Newport, Incorporated (Newport Classical), $25,000, to support artist fees and venue costs for Newport Classical's annual summer festival. • Community MusicWorks (CMW), Providence, $70,000, to support staff salaries for free music education and performance programs for children and youth from historically marginalized communities. • FirstWorks, Providence, $25,000, to support a series of multidisciplinary arts projects. • Spectrum Theatre Ensemble, Providence, $30,000, to support a Neurodiversity New Play Festival.

"On behalf of the State of Rhode Island, congratulations to the R.I. grantees and especially our Rhode Island State Council on the Arts for being awarded key federal dollars to continue the work of advancing the arts in our state," Governor McKee said. "Thank you to the Congressional delegation, Senators Reed and Whitehouse, Congressmen Magaziner and Amo, and the NEA for supporting and investing in our state's arts economy."

Nationally, the NEA funds more than $110 million in recommended grants to organizations in all 50 states and U.S. jurisdictions.

"These projects exemplify the creativity and care with which communities are telling their stories, creating connection, and responding to challenges and opportunities in their communities — all through the arts," said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. "So many aspects of our communities such as cultural vitality, health and wellbeing, infrastructure, and the economy are advanced and improved through investments in art and design, and this funding at the local, state, and regional levels demonstrates the National Endowment for the Arts' commitment to ensuring people across the country benefit."

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. To learn more, visit arts.gov or follow the NEA on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.