"National Endowment for the Arts Receives $7 Million Increase"
2000-10-05 until 2000-10-31
National Endowment for the Arts
Washington, DC, USA United States of America

Thursday, the US Senate passed appropriations legislation granting the National Endowment for the Arts a $105 million budget for Fiscal Year 2001, giving the agency its first budget increase in eight years. The measure was passed by the House on Tuesday and President Clinton is expected to sign the legislation shortly. The $7 million spending hike will fund community outreach and arts education projects as part of the NEA's Challenge America initiative.

This is a tremendous victory, said Bill Ivey, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. It is the culmination of a decade-long fight in which the President, our supporters in the House and Senate and many thousands of citizens working at the grass-roots level fought and won a battle to protect our nation's continuing investment in arts and culture. It is the beginning of a restoration process that will enable all Americans to benefit from our country's rich and varied living cultural heritage.

The $7 million budget increase will fund community outreach and arts education projects as part of the NEA's Challenge America initiative. Challenge America will connect arts organizations more closely with families and communities, provide access to the arts in underserved communities and encourage the development of cultural organizations.

The Arts Endowment has received flat funding of just under $100 million for the past five years. The agency's funding peaked in 1992, with $176 million.

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for the State of District of Columbia

Other Important Exhibitions in Washington