WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced a total of $959,500 in grants from the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) for arts programs throughout New Mexico. The grants will fund 11 music, theater, and visual arts projects across the state.
 
"New Mexico is home to over 4,300 arts-related businesses that employ over 15,600 people, and with more artists per capita than any other state, New Mexico stands as one of the most vibrant artistic communities in the nation. Our artists play a vital role in shaping our culture, attracting tourists, and creating jobs, and these grants will boost funding for existing programs and promote the local artists that are driving New Mexico's creative economy," Udall said. "I know how vital the arts are to New Mexico's communities and tribes and that's why as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I fought hard to increase funding for the NEA and NEH – despite attempts by the Trump administration to zero out funding."

"Artists have shaped New Mexico's heritage and traditions for centuries. From establishing museum exhibits to supporting theater productions, these grants will allow creativity to continue to flourish in New Mexico, support the local economy and draw visitors from around the world to the Land of Enchantment," said Heinrich. "I'm focused on ensuring that these vital programs receive the funding they need to support our state's vibrant artist community."
 
Udall, the lead democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees funding for the NEA, and Heinrich secured a $3 million increase in funding for the NEA – to a total of $152.8 million – in the latest funding appropriations bill.
 
Projects receiving grants are:
 
Albuquerque:
 
$40,000 – 516 ARTS to support "Currency," an exhibition of local, national, and international artists whose work explores issues related to worth, function, and value.
 
$10,000 – Basement Films Inc. to support a month-long visiting artist residency to experiment with traditional film formats.
 
$10,000 – Opera Southwest to support performances of "Lohengrin" by composer Richard Wagner.
 
Angel Fire:
 
$30,000 Music at Angel Fire, Inc. (aka Music from Angel Fire) to support the annual Music from Angel Fire Summer Chamber Music Festival.
 
Los Lunas:
 
$25,000 Our Town — to support the design of a Route 66 museum and visitors center.
 
Santa Fe:
 
$699,500 – New Mexico Arts to support arts programs, services, and activities associated with carrying out the agency's NEA-approved strategic plan.
 
$10,000 – Ralph T. Coe Foundation for the Arts (aka The Coe) to support "Joyce Growing Thunder: Master Plains Indian Beadwork Artist."
 
$20,000 – Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival Ltd. to support production and distribution costs for the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival radio series.
 
$75,000 – Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative to support the Northwest Tribal Design Leadership Institute, an initiative to build creative placemaking capacity of tribal community development professionals, a Knowledge Building project.
 
$10,000 – Theatre Grottesco North America, Inc. (aka Theater Grottesco) to support the development and national tour of Pie, a new ensemble-created work.
 
$30,000 – Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian to support an exhibition by sculptor and installation artist Rose B. Simpson and an accompanying catalogue.