National Endowment for the Arts

06/12/2026

Last month, National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Mary Anne Carter traveled to Utah to highlight the role arts and culture play in communities across the state and to celebrate projects connected to America’s 250th anniversary. ✨

Highlights of the trip included:
⭐️ The launch of the 2026 program at Hill Aerospace Museum
⭐️ The Utah Arts Alliance's 2026 Culture Connects Conference
⭐️ A visit to the Utah State Capitol & "Pen is Mightier: Writing a Revolution" exhibit with Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson
⭐️ And a look at Eden International Arts and Film Festival's arts education programming

Thank you to everyone who welcomed us to Utah!

06/11/2026

With FIFA World Cup 2026™ kicking off today, the National Endowment for the Arts joins the global celebration through its grants supporting arts projects in each of the U.S. cities hosting these games. This summer, we’ll share stories from across the country that highlight the joy, community, and cultural connections sparked by both the games and the vibrant arts projects they inspire—including a grant to the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. As part of their Arts at Play project, visitors at Pérez Art Museum Miami can experience Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture—an immersive exhibition of over 100 global artworks paired with community workout sessions—showcasing how sports unite people across cultures and identities.

📸 Lazaro Llanes

06/10/2026

As we countdown to America’s 250th anniversary, the National Endowment for the Arts is bringing the nation together through the unforgettable sound of U.S. military bands.
With grants awarded across the country, communities will come alive with free concerts, vibrant performances, and powerful musical moments that honor service, history, and unity.
From stirring marches to joyful celebrations, these projects remind us that music doesn’t just mark history—it makes it!

https://bit.ly/4vwZviY

Photo: Daniel Swartz

06/03/2026

It is with great sadness that the National Endowment for the Arts acknowledges the passing of 2011 NEA Opera Honoree Speight Jenkins, who also served on the National Council on the Arts from 1996-2000. Jenkins was recognized nationally as a leading authority on opera and one of the most influential and accomplished general directors in the United States.

Our full statement ⬇

It is with great sadness that the National Endowment for the Arts acknowledges passing of Speight Jenkins, who also served on the National Council on the Arts.

06/01/2026

NEA Research Director Sunil Iyengar will give welcoming remarks at this event--tune in online! The Arts Endowment co-funds one of the networks, focused on music and pain management.

🎵 Join us virtually on June 8 for the 2026 Annual Music Research Network Investigator Meeting.

Hear from leading researchers, clinicians, and federal partners from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institute on Aging - NIH, and the National Endowment for the Arts, as they explore how music influences pain management and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

👉 Learn more about the symposium: https://calendar.umaryland.edu/?month=6&day=08&year=2026&view=fulltext&id=d.en.974187×tamp=1780934400&

05/29/2026

🎨📚 Creativity meets history!

In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Second Lady Usha Vance invited K–8 students nationwide to reimagine America through art—and the results are extraordinary.

With winners across three grade bands, these young artists offer powerful reflections on our nation’s past, present, and future. ✨

Stay tuned as they are celebrated this summer at the Great American State Fair!

https://bit.ly/4dTX7vy

05/28/2026

Here are three things we love:

1. More theater in more places
2. Inspiring young audiences with performance
3. Job opportunities for up-and-coming artists

Shakespeare in American Communities is a grant program from the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest that supports all three.

Today, we're announcing more than $1 million in grants for theater programming and education for young people and theater apprenticeship programs across America.

Congratulations to all the grantees. We can't wait to see what you do!

Learn more: https://artsmidwest.org/about/updates/announcing-the-2026-shakespeare-in-american-communities-grantees/

05/26/2026

It is with great sadness that the National Endowment for the Arts acknowledges the passing of saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins.

Rollins was awarded the NEA Jazz Masters fellowship in 1983, part of the second class of recipients. In addition, he was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 2010.

Our full statement ⬇

It is with great sadness that the National Endowment for the Arts acknowledges the passing of saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins, recipient of a 1983 NEA Jazz Masters fellowship and 2010 National Medal of Arts.

05/26/2026

🎶✨ Celebrating the next generation of musical theater creators!
The National Endowment for the Arts and National Alliance for Musical Theatre are proud to announce the winners of the 2025–2026 Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students.
Honoring America’s 250th anniversary, this year’s challenge highlights the creativity and storytelling that define this uniquely American art form.
This June, the winning songwriters will travel to New York City to work with mentors and bring their original songs to life in a special concert on June 15 at 7:30pm ET at New World Stages.
🎭 Watch live from anywhere: arts.gov/songwriting | namt.org/challenge

https://bit.ly/3S1I5ws

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, we pause to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice to our nation. In remembrance, we're sharing poems from the Poetry Out Loud anthology that reflect on courage, service, and loss.