Through grant funding, field services, and project advisory, NEFA is a leader in the field of public art in Boston, New England, and nationally. NEFA supports public art projects through planning or implementation grants awarded to community-based nonprofit organizations for engagement with individual artists. Organizations funded through NEFA’s public art programs represent a broad array of nonprofits, including the arts, the environment, community development, youth, and education.
Background
NEFA plays a leadership role in the field of public art in Boston as well as in New England and nationally. Since 1998, it has funded more than 45 public art projects through numerous grant making initiatives including Building Communities through Culture, Visible Republic, Art & Community Landscapes, and Fund for the Arts. NEFA supports public art projects through planning and implementation grants awarded to community-based nonprofit organizations for engagement with individual artists. NEFA’s public art programs have supported projects lead by organizations from sectors such as the arts, the environment, community development, youth, and education.
Current Grant Programs Fund for the Arts is an endowed fund which supports public art projects in Greater Boston and that pairs artists and non-profit community organizations to create public artworks that engage audiences and encourage participation in the arts. Fund for the Arts seeks to advance and provide visibility for the arts in Greater Boston by placing artists and creative endeavors at the heart of community and civic life.
Art & Community Landscapes is a national initiative developed in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Park Service, that has supported site-based public art projects as a catalyst for increased environmental awareness and stewardship. Awards have been made to nonprofit organizations working in partnership with artists for the development and implementation of publicly accessible projects inspiring community involvement in protecting and enhancing the natural environment.
New Initiatives
Based on the recommendations of a 2006 study of its public art programs and a scan of the field as whole, NEFA will expand its role as an innovator and capacity builder in New England to serve communities and the field of public art. Over the next several years, services to the field will include planning grants for site-specific public art projects rooted in artist and community collaborations; meetings and conferences addressing current topics in public art; and may also include an inventory of public art resources, programs, and opportunities; and professional development and training for artists and administrators.
Partners
Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism
Maine Arts Commission
Massachusetts Cultural Council
New Hampshire State Council on the Arts
Rhode Island State Council on the Arts
Vermont Arts Council
National Park Service
National Endowment for the Arts
Funders
Anonymous
Jane’s Trust
Fund for the Arts, a restricted fund of the New England Foundation for the Arts
