LexArts Receives NEA Grant for “Livestream”

Lexington, KY – National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Jane Chu announced yesterday that LexArts is one of 919 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. LexArts is recommended for a $40,000 grant to support “Livestream,” a transmedia public art installation commissioned by LexArts and Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s Department of Environmental Quality and Public Works as part of the EcoART program.

“Livestream” will combine art, science, and technology to raise environmental awareness by engaging individuals in the sustainment of one of our most valuable resources: groundwater. The EcoART program was created to educate the public on environmental issues through artistic creation.

Selected through an artist call, the artistic team known as Public Works Collaborative consists of founder and designer, Kiersten Nash; musician, Ben Sollee; engineer, Sean Montgomery; public artist, Bland Hoke; and educator, Dan Marwit. The project is in partnership with the Kentucky Geological Survey and has the support of LexArts and the Dan Marwit.

NEA Chairman Jane Chu said, “I’m pleased to be able to share the news of our support through Art Works including the award to LexArts. The arts foster value, connection, creativity and innovation for the American people and these recommended grants demonstrate those attributes and affirm that the arts are part of our everyday lives.”

“‘Livestream’ will engage people in a way few public art projects do. Not only through sound as well as sight, but also experiencing the world around and specifically under us, this project will make an impact in a very immediate way,” continued Ellen A. Plummer, LexArts President & CEO. “The collaboration among these artists, musicians and scientists is extraordinary. We are grateful to the National Endowment for the Arts and our LFUCG partners for helping LexArts bring this complex work to life.”

Art Works grants support the creation of art, public engagement with art, lifelong learning in the arts, and enhancement of the livability of communities through the arts. The NEA received 1,474 eligible applications under the Art Works category, requesting more than $75 million in funding. Of those applications, 919 are recommended for grants for a total of $26.6 million. For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA website at arts.gov. Follow the conversation about this and other NEA-funded projects on Twitter at #NEAFall2014.