The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced today (April 16, 2014) that it will award grants totaling $110,000 to 6 Orange County organizations, including Arts Orange County, from among the $74.85 million in 971 grants to nonprofit organizations nationwide as part of the second half of its fiscal year 2014 funding.  Here are the OC grantees:

Arts Orange County

$25,000

To support Dia del Nino, a festival that will celebrate the cultural heritage of Orange County's Latino community. Scheduled to take place in downtown Santa Ana's historic Birch Park, the festival will feature participatory arts workshops and performances by numerous selected regional artists.

Laguna Art Museum

$30,000

To support Art & Nature 2014, a project examining art and its engagement with nature and the natural sciences. Featuring artists, historians, and environmental scientists, project activities will include exhibitions, lectures, discussions, performances, and other activities for children and families.

Pacific Chorale

$20,000

To support an educational and outreach music program for elementary school children. The Pacific Chorale Academy's Because Everyone Has a Voice project will be a free vocal educational program based on the orchestral El Sistema program providing fourth and fifth grade students with choral instruction.

Philharmonic Society of Orange County (aka Philharmonic Society)

$15,000

To support the Discovery Series, artist residencies featuring The Knights chamber orchestra and residencies by emerging musicians. The residencies will feature emerging solo artists such as pianist Sean Chen, violinist Ray Chen, and cellist Han Bin Yoon, as well as The Knights, a chamber orchestra from Brooklyn, New York.

Relampago del Cielo

$10,000

To support instruction for youth in Mexican folkloric dance, culminating in a student dance concert.  Students of all ages and all levels of ability will receive instruction in dances representative of Mexico's various regions.

The Wooden Floor

$10,000

To support a dance education and performance program for youth. Students will participate in guest artist residencies and master classes which will result in the creation of new concert dance works, and they will join their families in Family Dance, a multigenerational program.