Art Funding for Public Schools
According to the Guggenheim Museum's research study on Learning Through Art, visual arts programming can help young students improve literacy and critical thinking abilities. Unfortunately, without adequate funding, many public schools are left unable to support quality art education programs. Funding programs through both federal and private sources can help bolster the creation and administration of these academic art initiatives in public K-12 schools.
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National Endowment for the Arts Grants
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The National Endowment for the Arts, NEA, is a federal independent agency that provides assistance to schools and arts organizations through funding programs, artists and communities. Grants are available to schools under the Art Works program. Art Works provides grants between $10,000 and $100,000, as of 2011, to schools and organizations who demonstrate a commitment and need for long-term learning in the arts. Schools must apply to the NEA for this grant money and undergo a staff, panel and council review for acceptance. Any artistic discipline is considered for application. Schools may apply for during-school arts exposure programs, or after-school extra-curricular activities. All NEA grant funded programs must be in line with arts education standards at either the state or national level.
State Funding for the Arts
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Most individual states offer some form of art funding for public schools. These programs, and amounts of the monetary awards, vary by state. Additionally, different states provide funds for a diverse array of programming that may range from artist residency programs to specialized classes and workshops. For example, the state of California, California Arts Council's Artists in the Schools program provides funds for professional working artists, and organizations, to create in-school programming.
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U.S. Department of Education Grants
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The United States Department of Education provides funding opportunities for public schools to create and maintain arts education projects and programs. The Arts in Education - Model Development and Dissemination Grant funds programs that strengthen and/or integrate the arts at the elementary and middle school levels. While this program provides grants directly to schools for projects directed at students, the Arts Education-Professional Development for Arts Educators grant offers teachers at both the primary and secondary levels the opportunity to increase their skills and knowledge of visual arts, media arts, dance, drama or music.
Private Grants
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Private funding sources for arts education programs include a variety of sources that aim to help public schools provide quality programming to students. National foundations such as the Dana Foundation and corporate entities such as Target offer funding opportunities to bring the arts into schools. These funds typically cover the costs involved in creating programs, hiring professional artists or artist educators and materials. Many private funding agencies require schools to apply for the grant and demonstrate programming that aligns with art or state learning standards.
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- Photo Credit paint image by Darren Nickerson from Fotolia.com
