Artsconnect Selected For $100,000 In Funding From The Nat'l Endowment For The Arts For New Project Commemorating Brown V. Board

Citizen artist vanessa german has been selected to create multidisciplinary, community-based works to coincide with 70th anniversary commemoration.

Visit Topeka Inc. (VTI) and ArtsConnect are proud to announce that ArtsConnect has been selected as a recipient of an “Our Town” grant by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The funding will support a new multidisciplinary, community-based artwork series by award-winning, world-renowned artist vanessa german and will coincide with the 70th anniversary commemoration of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education (BVB) case that outlawed segregation in the country’s public schools. The new NEA-backed project will be part of “Civil Rights Summer” in Topeka, a collection of special projects and activities planned for summer of 2024.

The NEA provides creative placemaking grants to innovative projects that strengthen communities by integrating arts, culture, and design. “Our Town” is one of the most prestigious grant programs offered by the NEA, and this is the first time Topeka has been granted an award through the program. ArtsConnect is expected to receive a $100,000 NEA grant, which will be matched by VTI. In addition, ArtsConnect is committed to raising $100,000 to support the project and advancement of the arts in Topeka. Together, the funding represents a $300,000 investment in the capital city’s arts scene.

vanessa german’s work appears in museums and collections across the country, including the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City and the Wichita Art Museum in Wichita. Later this year, she will present work as part of an exhibition on the National Mall in Washington D.C. The artist explains that, “residents of Topeka and beyond will be invited to share stories, connections, creativity and vision through a nearly 10-month long series of creative actions that will include storytelling and writing workshops, making workshops and a performance opportunity that will take your breath away!”

“The National Endowment for the Arts is pleased to support a wide range of projects, demonstrating the many ways the arts enrich our lives and contribute to healthy and thriving communities,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “These organizations play an important role in advancing the creative vitality of our nation and helping to ensure that all people can benefit from arts, culture, and design.”

For more information about this project, visit www.artstopeka.org/loveandjustice. For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Fizell at 785-218-6320 or [email protected].