| DONATE | Become a part of the work that we do to sustain the arts in New England and beyond. Support NEFA today!
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ABOUT NEFA
| NEFA supports artists with grants and professional resources; establishes vital connections between artists, arts programmers, and the public; and strengthens the region's creative economy through research that informs public policy.
Learn more about NEFA.
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Dear Friends,
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(l-r): Jane James (NEFA Board member); Rocco Landesman (National Endowment for the Arts Chairman); Marty Pottenger (Art At Work); Rebecca Blunk;
photo by Lauren Winsor.
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I'm still feeling the excitement of NEFA's first-ever Creative Economy Awards announced at our Creative Communities Exchange, on May 20 at MASS MoCA. These awards, made possible by the Director's Fund, created by our board to honor my 25 years with NEFA, were presented with the help of NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman and members of the NEFA Board.
The Exchange brought 250+ participants from all over New England generating enormous energy and a vigorous trade of knowledge, ideas, and connection. We couldn't have done it without co-host Berkshire Creative or the support of our sponsors. And the buzz continues!
Also in May, I traveled to Haiti with a group of colleagues to meet with artists for NEFA's Center Stage program. I hope you'll have a chance to experience a bit of Haiti, Indonesia, and Pakistan vicariously by visiting the Center Stage blog. The ten ensembles selected to tour the U.S. in 2012 will be announced in the coming weeks.
Welcome to NEFA's summer newsletter. Read on for updates on all we're doing to bring together artists and communities.
Yours truly,
Rebecca Blunk
Executive Director
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CONTINUING THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY BUZZ
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Thanks to all participants, presenters, sponsors, and planning committee for making this event a huge success!
We continue to receive positive feedback on last month's Creative Communities Exchange, which featured 32 workshops generating new and renewed connections, concrete examples of relevant projects, and To-Do lists for creating vibrant communities. Lauren Miller of the Greater Hartford Arts Council remarked, "This conference gave me practical advice and the framework to implement some of the ideas."
Read more attendees' reactions, view event photos, and watch event and workshop footage!
What's next?
Keep your creative community activities rolling and continue the connection-making by joining our Twitter conversation. Interested in helping NEFA strategize around next steps for connecting New England's creative economy? Contact Dee Schneidman, research manager. |
NEW SUPPORT FOR NEFA PROGRAMMING
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| We are pleased to announce recent awards from:
- The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation ($2 million) for National Dance Project
- National Endowment for the Arts ($1.137 million) for regional partnership, regional touring, and folk arts.
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TOP 3 UP & COMING SERVICES
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Native Arts Directory artist Dale Carson (Abenaki); photo courtesy of Dale Carson.
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NEFA offers much more than grantmaking programs. Check out the following opportunities. They're all FREE!
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OUT IN THE FIELD
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(l-r): Andrew Cornell (NEFA board member); Joan Myers Brown (founder, Philadanco); Jawole Willa Jo Zollar (artistic director, Urban Bush Women); photo by Sarah Long Holland.
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NEFA has been all over the map in these past few months! Check out NEFA's Facebook and YouTube channel for a sampling of where we've been:
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| LOOKING AHEAD | | NEFA hosts workshops and info and professional development sessions on a regular basis. Upcoming events include:
 CultureCount Webinar
July 11, 2011 | Artist focus
September 23, 2011 | Topic TBD - Native Arts Workshops
July 11, 2011 | Perry, ME
July 30, 2011 | Worcester, MA
August 5, 2011 | Montpelier, VT - 10th Annual Idea Swap
November 2, 2011 | Worcester, MA
NEFA programs connect artists and communities across the country. To find out about projects and other events happening near you, visit NEFA's events calendar, the NEFA Network, or Facebook.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO RECENT GRANT RECIPIENTS
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NEST artist group Weston Playhouse; photo by Zach Ingbretsen.
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NEFA awarded a total of $610,762 in grants since March 2011. Click below to learn more about the grant recipients and projects.
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GRANT DEADLINES
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| NEFA updates guidelines annually; be sure to review carefully before applying. Click below for details.
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STAFF NEWS
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Photo by Abi Baisas.
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NEFA welcomes National Dance Project's new program associate, Steven Davis (pictured right).
Warm thanks to Native Arts program intern Tiffany Smalley (Aquinnah Wampanoag) and NEFA's first public art fellow Mary Tinti. Tiffany will begin her new position as a Legislative Fellow for the National Congress of American Indians, while Mary is joining the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum as the Koch Curatorial Fellow. |
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