Organizations Across New England Receive Cultural Sustainability Awards

(Boston, MA) The New England Foundation for the Arts announces $1,100,000 in funding for the 18 recipients of the Cultural Sustainability grant.

Cultural Sustainability provides general operating support to arts organizations of color with annual operating expenses under $500,000. This funding will enable these organizations to sustain and expand their practices, more deeply impact the communities they serve, and provide meaningful arts and cultural experiences for larger, cross-cultural audiences. Working together as a regional learning cohort with NEFA staff, the 18 recipients will have the opportunity to address some of their self-identified organizational needs.

This pilot program is funded by The Wallace Foundation and delivered regionally in conjunction with the other five US Regional Arts Organizations to best serve each unique community across the United States. These substantial funding and research efforts endeavor to understand how small, community-based arts organizations can advance their sustainability and well-being when properly invested in, acknowledging that communities of color have long made limited resources stretch to create incredible cultural experiences for the audiences they serve. 

“The Cultural Sustainability grant acknowledges that arts organizations rooted in communities of color deserve to become long-lasting, well-resourced cultural pillars across New England,” said Harold Steward, NEFA’s executive director. “NEFA is honored to do this work in partnership with The Wallace Foundation and our sister Regional Arts Organizations.”

“Arts organizations rooted in communities are often the cornerstones of the neighborhoods they serve, and as we work to create a more equitable and thriving arts sector having a deeper understanding of how funders can better support their work is vital,” said Bahia Ramos, vice president of arts at Wallace. “The Wallace Foundation is grateful to NEFA and the other Regional Arts Organizations for encouraging us to expand our work to support and better understand their practices.” 

Grantees range from culturally specific, multilingual theatre companies like CHUANG Stage and Teatro ECAS to arts and social service organizations like Dunamis and Nueva Esperanza. The cohort also includes three organizations dedicated to the preservation of Indigenous artistry and tradition in northern New England. From Cantonese zines (Canto Cutie) to an independent press dedicated to highlighting writers from the Global South (Interlink Foundation), this group has long been supporting, employing, and elevating communities of color in New England and beyond. Awards range from $25,000 to $100,000. 

Learn more about the recipients: 

• Abenaki Arts & Education Center, Vergennes, VT
• Abilities Dance Boston, Brookline, MA
• Canto Cutie, Milton, VT
• CHUANG Stage, Boston, MA
• CNTR, Middletown, CT
• Dunamis Inc, Boston, MA
• Interlink Foundation, Northampton, MA
• Khmer Maine, Portland, ME
• Nibezun, Old Town, ME
• Nueva Esperanza, Holyoke, MA
• PVD World Music, Providence, RI
• Queen Ann Nzinga Center, Inc, Plainville, CT
• Queerlective, Manchester, NH
• Street Theory Collective, Cambridge, MA
• Teatro ECAS, Providence, RI
• Transformative Culture Project, Dorchester, MA
• Urbano Project, Boston, MA
• Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, Vergennes, VT

This opportunity is part of The Wallace Foundation’s Advancing Well-Being in the Arts initiative, which funds arts organizations rooted in communities of color to advance their well-being, enhance understanding of their contributions to community, and ultimately help to build a more equitable and sustainable arts ecosystem.

About NEFA

The New England Foundation for the Arts invests in artists and communities and fosters equitable access to the arts, enriching the cultural landscape in New England and the nation. NEFA accomplishes this by granting funds to artists and cultural organizations; connecting them to each other and their audiences; and analyzing their economic contributions. NEFA serves as a regional partner for the National Endowment for the Arts, New England’s state arts agencies, and private foundations. Learn more at www.nefa.org. 

About The Wallace Foundation 

The Wallace Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan research foundation focused on the arts, school leadership, and youth development.  They collaborate with grantees and research partners to design and test innovative approaches to address pressing problems in the fields they serve. The evidence-based insights they share—searchable online and free of charge—support policymakers and practitioners in their efforts to improve outcomes, enhance community vitality, and help all people reach their full potential. www.WallaceFoundation.org.

CONTACT: Ann Wicks | 617-423-1319