PRESS RELEASE: 21 MAY 2024
The Frances Clark Center is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Grants for Arts Projects award of $30,000 to support its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts in music education publications. The NEA will award 1,135 Grants for Arts Projects awards totaling more than $37 million as part of its second round of fiscal year 2024 grants.
“Projects to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in music education exemplify the creativity and care with which communities are telling their stories, creating connection, and responding to challenges and opportunities in their communities—all through the arts,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “So many aspects of our communities such as cultural vitality, health and wellbeing, infrastructure, and the economy are advanced and improved through investments in art and design, and the National Endowment for the Arts is committed to ensuring people across the country benefit.”
“We are extremely grateful to the NEA for supporting these meaningful, creative projects in diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Jennifer Snow, CEO and Executive Director of The Frances Clark Center. “We appreciate the work involved in the rigorous NEA review and adjudication process, and we are honored to be included with this year’s outstanding recipients. Piano education opens opportunities for broader cultural understanding, building stronger and more connected communities through music learning. Receiving the NEA grant makes it possible for us to advance these powerful initiatives this year.”
The NEA Grants for Arts Project award will support The Frances Clark Center’s DEI efforts in three publication projects: the Indigenous Composer Project, Piano Magazine, and Piano Inspires Kids. The Indigenous Composer Project aims to create an inclusive collection of commissioned pedagogical piano music by Indigenous composers representing various Tribal Nations, celebrating Native American culture and fostering respect and appreciation in music education. The project will distribute up to 1,000 copies of the books at no cost to teachers, students, and schools in the Tribal Nations.
Piano Inspires Kids centers on diverse and underrepresented musicians, offering inclusive and interactive content to educate students on musical cultures, composers, and styles. Piano Magazine emphasizes diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, translating content into multiple languages to reflect and celebrate diverse communities and cultures.
For more information on other projects included in the NEA’s grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
For more information on each of The Frances Clark Center initiatives, visit: