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The Rebecca Blunk Fund at the New England Foundation for the Arts was established in memory of Rebecca Blunk (1953-2014), celebrating her 29 years of service to NEFA and her abiding passion for the arts. Honoring Rebecca’s desire that the fund support artistic creation, connection, and curation, the Fund awards annual grants to New England artists whose work demonstrates creative excellence and professional accomplishment. For the first five years of the Fund, awards provided unrestricted funds intended to support artists’ professional development and creation of new work. As of 2020, thanks to generous support from our community, the Fund has raised over $100,000 and supported 12 artists living and working in New England. NEFA welcomes donations to the fund on an ongoing basis; as with all donations to NEFA, donations to the Rebecca Blunk Fund are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Inspired by the impact of the Rebecca Blunk Fund, NEFA launched a new grantmaking program, New Work New England in Summer 2020. Recognizing the strong alignment between these two funds and their shared goal of supporting artistic creation throughout our region, beginning in 2020 NEFA will make Rebecca Blunk Fund awards through New Work New England. We will continue to work in collaboration with NEFA staff and external advisors to designate which awards will be made in Rebecca’s honor, ensuring the awardees reflect Rebecca’s dedication to artists and the creative process. NEFA is proud to preserve Rebecca’s legacy by supporting the excellent diversity of artists enriching our New England communities.
Learn about the awardees:
About Rebecca Blunk
Rebecca came to NEFA from the Nebraska Arts Council in 1985 as the director of performing arts and then served as deputy director for ten years before being named executive director in 2004. Under her leadership, the organization brought important resources to New England, strengthening its capacity to connect artists and communities through regional, national, and international programs.
A tireless champion of the arts – from public art, the visual arts, music, dance, theater, and puppetry – Rebecca’s unwavering presence was felt across the arts and culture landscape, through her work in performing arts creation and touring, the creative economy, Native American arts, and cultural exchange on an international scale. Throughout her career, she derived deep personal reward from the artists and administrators with whom she worked.