The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Jane Chu announced 69 Our Town awards totaling almost $5 million through the Our Town program’s fifth year of funding. SCIDpda, in partnership with InterIm Community Development Association (InterIm CDA) and the City of Seattle’s Office of Arts & Culture, is one of those recommended organizations and will receive $75,000 to support creative placemaking projects in the CID, Little Saigon, and Japantown. The NEA received 275 applications for Our Town this year and will make grants ranging from $25,000 to $200,000.
The Our Town grant program supports creative placemaking projects that help to transform communities into lively, beautiful, and resilient places with the arts at their core. Since the program’s inception in 2011 and including these projects, the NEA will have awarded 325 Our Town grants totaling almost $26 million in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.
The project activities include public art that celebrates the neighborhood’s Asian American history and heritage, and a design workshop to enhance the key historic Maynard alley. SCIDpda, InterIm CDA, and the City of Seattle’s Office of Arts & Culture will partner to plan and execute district activities that reflect the identity of the existing community, attract local business development, and foster safer public spaces.
“SCIDpda, InterIm CDA, and the City of Seattle’s Office of Arts & Culture demonstrate the best in creative community development and whose work will have a valuable impact on its community,” said Chairman Chu. “Through Our Town funding, arts organizations continue to spark vitality that support neighborhoods and public spaces, enhancing a sense of place for residents and visitors alike.”
