“The Arts . . . belong to all the people of the United States” *

Art Works is the National Endowment for the Arts’ principal grants program. Through project-based funding, we support public engagement with, and access to, various forms of excellent art across the nation, the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, learning in the arts at all stages of life, and the integration of the arts into the fabric of community life. Projects may be large or small, existing or new, and may take place in any part of the nation’s 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. 

We encourage applications for artistically excellent projects that address any of the following activities below:

• Honor the 2020 centennial of women’s voting rights in the United States (aka the Women’s Suffrage Centennial).
• Engage with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Hispanic or Latino organizations; or the Native American, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian arts.
• Celebrate America’s creativity and cultural heritage.
• Invite a dialogue that fosters a mutual respect for the diverse beliefs and values of all persons and groups.
• Enrich our humanity by broadening our understanding of ourselves as individuals and as a society.

*1965 Enabling Legislation for the National Endowment for the Arts in the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965