Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman James P. McGovern (MA-02), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, announced $285,000 worth of federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts for local arts organizations and artists in the Second Congressional District.

Amherst Cinema received a $17,500 media arts grant; The Massachusetts Review received a $10,000 literary arts grant; The Common, the literary magazine at Amherst College, received a $15,000 literary arts grant; University of Massachusetts  Amherst received a $100,000 research grant; Oliver de la Paz, of Holden, received a $25,000 literature fellowship grant; Patricia Hartland, of Turner Falls, received a $12,500 literature fellowship grant; Music Worcester received a $10,000 music grant; and the University of Massachusetts Medical School received a $95,000 research grant.

“There is no question that the arts drive our economy. And the creativity, passion, and resilience of artists and arts organizations across America has inspired and uplifted so many of us during this pandemic,” said Congressman McGovern. “The arts are a vital part of our economic growth in Massachusetts, and they must continue to play a vital role in our economic recovery. NEA grants in particular help nonprofit organizations bring the arts to underserved urban and rural areas. I am thrilled that we are funding these important programs which will help bring people together, expand their horizons, and move our community forward.”

Over the past 5 years, the National Endowment for the Arts has distributed more than $7,744,600 in funding to expand access to the arts throughout the Second Congressional District. Massachusetts’s arts and cultural industries employ 131,169 workers and add $21.1 billion – or 4.3% – to the state's economy every year.

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America.