WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced a $697,600 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for West Virginia nonprofit and art organizations. The funding will be used to preserve the Mountain State’s cultural heritage and expand opportunities for residents to experience and participate in the arts.

“West Virginia is rich with history and culture, and I believe it is important to keep our state’s creative spirit and proud traditions alive,” said Senator Capito. “This funding will support projects that encourage community engagement and educational opportunities for our students. I applaud the award recipients for their commitment to strengthening our communities through the arts.”

“As West Virginians, we take pride in our rich, cultural heritage and this funding from the NEA will help preserve our unique history and traditions,” Senator Manchin said. “These resources will go towards exposing our kids to traditional music and the arts and give them the opportunity to be creative in different ways while expressing themselves.” 

Established in 1965, NEA has funded programs that support arts education, sustains and celebrates our nation’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and promotes equal access to the arts in every community across America. For Fiscal Year 2016, NEA will make 1,148 awards totaling $82,357,050 to nonprofit art and design organizations in all 50 states plus five U.S. jurisdictions.

Individual awards and details are listed below: 

  • $667,600 – West Virginia Division of Culture and History: Funding will be awarded to the Commission on the Arts (WVCA) to support programs and events that promote creative expression and art appreciation for the benefit of West Virginia citizens and visitors.
  • $20,000 –West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Inc.: Funding will be used to support a statewide touring and community engagement project. The orchestra, under the leadership of Artistic Director and Conductor Grant Cooper, will introduce orchestral and chamber music to new audiences throughout West Virginia, as well as present educational programming in schools. Programming may include Young People's Concerts and The Sounds of West Virginia, which will feature commissioned works by West Virginia composers like Charleston native Matthew Jackfert. Concerts and events will be presented in rural and small towns in West Virginia, such as Beckley, Elkins, Fairmont, Hinton, Lewisburg, Parkersburg, Summersville and Morgantown.
  • $10,000 –Wheeling Symphony Society, Inc.: Funding will be used to support a regional performance tour with related educational outreach programs. The orchestra, under the direction of Music Director Andre Raphel, will present a Young People's Concert program in venues across West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. In collaboration with guest artist ensemble Classical Kids Live!, programming will feature an innovative program, such as "Beethoven Lives Upstairs," that engages listeners to explore music through dramatic artistry. The project will include teacher workshops and pre-concert instruction for elementary school children.

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