Promotion of the Arts – Visual Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts operates the Promotion of the Arts_Visual Arts program (CFDA 45.009), which last disbursed a federal grant award on August 1, 1998—over 28 years ago and no longer active for new awards.

The program funded Project Grants exclusively, supporting visual arts activities including visiting artist lecture series, exhibitions and installations by emerging and under-recognized artists, artist residencies and working facilities, public art commissions, and regional artist collaborations. Recent awards ranged from $540 to $100,000, with a median award size in the low thousands. The National Endowment for the Arts was the sole funder, obligating $170 thousand across 16 awards over the portfolio's lifetime. Award volume declined sharply in the mid-1990s, dropping from seven awards in 1993 to one award in 1998. The most recent grant, awarded August 1, 1998, obligated $100,000 to support a Millennium Survey of the United States employing photographers, writers, and video artists. Other representative awards included $30,000 to support an exhibition, video screenings, and visual arts workshops for a teen project (April 1996), and $3,500 for exhibitions and installations by emerging and under-recognized photographers (April 1995).

No current grant opportunities are posted under this Assistance Listing. The program has not issued a new award in 28 years and does not appear to be an active funding vehicle for new applicants.