VCA News

National Endowment for the Arts Announces $487,000 in Virginia Arts Funding

Summary

The VCA is excited to share a major grant announcement from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for FY25! Grant recipients include 25 Virginia organizations, 20 of which are VCA grantees. Awards range from $10,000 to $45,000 per organization, totaling $487,000 for the state of Virginia. Congratulations to these Virginia organizations!

The Virginia Commission for the Arts (VCA) is excited to share a major grant announcement from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for the 2025 fiscal year. Recipients include 25 Virginia organizations that span across five regions of the Commonwealth. Grant awards range from $10,000 to $45,000 per organization, totaling $487,000 for the state of Virginia.

“The Virginia Commission for the Arts congratulates these 25 grant recipients! We are thankful for the continued support of The National Endowment for the Arts and the important work they do in supporting our vibrant arts ecosystem across the Commonwealth, notes VCA Executive Director, Colleen Dugan Messick. We are absolutely thrilled to share that 20 of these organizations are also VCA grantees. We look forward to our continued partnership with the NEA and supporting artists and arts organizations throughout Virginia.” 

The VCA Recognizes Virginia Grantees

VCA General Operating Support Grantees

Arts Council of Fairfax County, Inc. (ArtsFairfax), Charlottesville Opera, Chrysler Museum, Inc. (Chrysler Museum of Art), Elden Street Players (dba NextStop Theatre Company), Heifetz International Music Institute, Inc., Light House Studio, Inc., Music for Life, Signature Theatre, Inc., Studio Two Three, Synetic Theatre, Inc., Tamworth Music Festival (dba Staunton Music Festival), Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA), Virginia Opera Association, Inc., Virginia Stage Company, Virginia Symphony Orchestra

VCA Community Impact Grantees

Oakwood Arts, Inc., University of Virginia (Virginia Film Festival), Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

VCA Education Impact Grantee

Tidewater African Cultural Alliance

VCA Virginia Touring Grantee

Eastern Shore of Virginia Barrier Islands Center

Additional NEA Grant Recipients in Virginia

Ariana Benson, Eastern Mennonite University (on behalf of Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival), Hampton University, Virginia Hispanic Chamber Foundation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)

 “The NEA is proud to continue our nearly 60 years of supporting the efforts of organizations and artists that help to shape our country’s vibrant arts sector and communities of all types across our nation,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “It is inspiring to see the wide range of creative projects taking place—those that address our past and help us consider our future, integrate arts and culture in new ways into our lives and communities, and provide powerful opportunities for people throughout our nation to come together through a shared arts experience.”

About the National Endowment for the Arts

 Established in 1965, the NEA is an independent federal agency that funds, promotes, and strengthens the creative capacity of our communities by providing all Americans with diverse opportunities for arts participation.

About the Virginia Commission for the Arts  

 The Virginia Commission for the Arts, established in 1968, is the state agency dedicated to investing in the arts across the Commonwealth of Virginia. The VCA fulfills its mission through funding from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, distributing grant awards to Virginia artists; arts organizations; educational institutions; nonprofit organizations; educators; and local and tribal governments. Learn more at www.vca.virginia.gov.

Media Contact
Colleen Dugan Messick, Executive Director
804.225.3132
colleen.messick@vca.virginia.gov

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