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The National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $25 million in grants as part of the NEA’s first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2018. Included in this announcement is an Art Works grant of $50,000 to the Alliance for the Arts for a public art project as part of the redevelopment of 2.2 acres along McGregor Blvd slated to begin later this year. The Art Works category is the NEA’s largest funding category and supports projects that focus on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and/or the strengthening of communities through the arts.
“It is energizing to see the impact that the arts are making throughout the United States. These NEA-supported projects, such as this one to the Alliance for the Arts, are good examples of how the arts build stronger and more vibrant communities, improve well-being, prepare our children to succeed, and increase the quality of our lives,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “At the National Endowment for the Arts, we believe that all people should have access to the joy, opportunities and connections the arts bring.”
The Alliance for the Arts has engaged Michael Singer Studio to lead a collaborative design team to reimagine the western edge of its 10-acre campus as part of a multiphase campus expansion. This phase of the project seeks to enhance the urban landscape through naturalization and expansion of an existing retention pond, regenerating the land and establishing a beautiful thriving pocket of Florida flora. The focal point of this project is the Caloosahatchee Water Wall designed by Michael Singer Studios. In addition to this key component a new sidewalk and lighting is being installed by the FL Department of Transportation and new connector sidewalks will welcome guests arriving by foot or bike into the City of Fort Myers and the Alliance campus.
“We’re excited to begin the transformation of our campus along the McGregor Corridor to create a pedestrian-friendly, artistic space for our community to gather,” says CEO/ Executive Director Lydia Black “It has been pleasure dreaming up this collaborative place-making project with an artist-driven team committed to artistic excellence, environmental sensitivity, and a commitment to grow community through the arts. It is a true honor to have received the National Endowment of the Arts recommendation to help make this project a reality.”
Additional funding for this project has been made possible through a matching grant by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, and by the Price Foundation, L.A.T. Foundation, and through the generosity of individual donors.
For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
