The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded two West Michigan organizations with grants supporting educational programming. Nearly 1,600 organizations submitted Art Works applications to the National Endowment for the Arts. Of the 977 grants awarded, only two West Michigan-based institutions received a portion of the $80 million Arts Endowment.
The Grand Rapids Art Museum is receiving $25,000 for its Language Artists: Creature Connections program which GRAM designed with Grand Rapids Public Schools. The program is described as integrating “literacy and the visual arts, through a year-long unit of study that promotes academic and cultural achievement among third grade students.”
The West Michigan Center for Arts + Technology is receiving $40,000 supporting its Teen Arts + Tech Program. “Which serves Grand Rapids Public School students in our afterschool programs with tuition-free experiences in our visual and media arts studios.”
Trudy Ngo-Brown is Director of Creative Programs at WMCAT says, “And we work with them from the beginning of the school year in September and we have two semesters that follow along the school calendar and so we’re with them until the end of May or early June.”
During that time students can explore a variety of studio experiences.
“That include everything from video game design to video production, digital photography. We have a dark room as well so students can learn about the film process. We have ceramics, fashion design, music production and technology, and graphic design and illustration.”
Ngo-Brown says this year WMCAT is looking for ways to engage more students in the district through middle school and daytime partnerships.
Patrick Center, WGVU News.