Twenty NM organizations receive grants from National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts is granting funding to 20 New Mexico-based organizations.

The NEA on Wednesday announced the first round of awards with 1,288 grants totaling $32 million. Recipients include organizations from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, recommended in the categories of Grants for Arts Projects, Challenge America, Research Grants in the Arts and Research Labs.

“The NEA is pleased to announce these grants, all of which strengthen our nation’s arts sector in different ways,” NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson said. “Whether it’s the creation of new art, opportunities for the public to participate and engage in the arts, or work to better understand the impact of the arts, these grants contribute to the well-being of individuals and communities, help meet the challenges of our time, and build towards a future in which all people can lead artful lives and reach their full potential.”

In New Mexico, the total amount of grants across the 20 organizations is $505,000.

The Albuquerque Museum Foundation is receiving $30,000 for an exhibit commemorating the 10th anniversary of the “Broken Boxes Podcast,” which is dedicated to the transmission of ideas among working artists.

The Albuquerque Museum will have an exhibition called “Broken Boxes: A Decade of Art, Action, and Dialog" co-curated by Ginger Dunnill, Broken Boxes Podcast founder, and Josie Lopez, head curator at the Albuquerque Museum.

The exhibit is slated to open Sept. 7 and run through March 2, 2025. The exhibition will feature 23 artists and include programming for Third Thursday events along with opening and closing events.

“For over a decade, Ginger Dunnill’s ‘Broken Boxes Podcast’ has amplified the voices of contemporary artists at the forefront of global and local community engagement. Participating artists have also forged friendships through collaboration, activism and dialog with each other,” Lopez said. “This exhibition celebrates a project that brings together these artists who share their respective artistic practices while activating new ways of building the future.”

The Santa Fe Film Institute will receive $25,000 to support the Santa Fe International Film Festival in 2024.

“This award from the National Endowment for the Arts, in an increased amount from previous years’ NEA grants, will support Santa Fe Film Institute’s development of filmmaking opportunities and demonstrates the local and national importance of Santa Fe International Film Festival’s contributions to the greater film community,” SFFI President Jacques Paisner said. “We appreciate the NEA’s continued funding of SFFI’s artistic and educational programming, and we look forward to presenting the 16th Annual Santa Fe International Film Festival with the NEA’s support this October.”

The National Dance Institute of New Mexico is also getting $30,000 from the NEA.

The grant, which comes during the organization’s 30th anniversary celebration, will support Dancing to Excellence in Albuquerque.

The award will support NDI New Mexico’s Albuquerque Outreach Program, which impacts nearly 2,000 students from in-school and advanced training programs, reaching across 32 Albuquerque public schools as well as The Hiland Theater. In addition, the award also will be used to fund the 2024 Summer Institute at The Hiland Theater.

“We’re honored to receive this award from the National Endowment for the Arts,” said Russell Baker, executive director of NDI New Mexico. “Our commitment to supporting access to the arts and enhancing the cultural richness of our community resonated with the NEA in their mission of promoting diversity in the arts, and we are grateful for their support. We look forward to using the funding to expand our programs to positively impact even more students.”