National Black Arts (NBAF) is extremely grateful to be a 2020 South Arts Resilience Fund recipient. The generous grant of $65,209 will help to support NBAF’s resiliency efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will include the re-alignment of their strategic plan with the inclusion of resilience focused strategies; provide staffing resources to continue providing artistic and innovative public programming following CDC guidelines; and assist with offsetting overhead expenses for the organization.
With support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the South Arts Resilience fund is supporting new, region-specific activities to build the long-term resiliency of arts organizations battling the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Through the South Arts Resilience Fund, significant grants have been made available to small- and mid-sized arts organizations with a history of visionary leadership and impact. This fund is one of several support mechanisms created by South Arts in an effort to be responsive to the needs of arts organizations across the region. South Arts continues to seek additional funds to further build the South Arts Resilience Fund and its grant-making capabilities as the pandemic and its effects continue to evolve.
For over 30 years, NBAF has been steadfast in its work to elevate multidisciplinary performances and create memorable experiences for a wide spectrum of patrons of the arts. The organization is committed to working directly with emerging artists to expose them to art disciplines and to support their growth and development. All of this as the nonprofit presents, supports and celebrates these artists and their work through excellent artistic and educational programs in spotlights, showcases, through the NBAForward virtual platform, and through arts education and youth development programs that nurture the talent of the next generation.
While 2020 has proven to be quite the challenge for NBAF and nonprofits around the world, it is not the first time NBAF has had to face adversity. As an organization that has supported black artists nationwide for decades, NBAF knows how to navigate unprecedented change. NBAF’s Managing Director, Stephanie Owens says “As an organization, we are dedicated to being innovative and committed to sharing artistic excellence, while addressing the need to get artists back to work head on, and empowering youth with arts education programming. We are truly grateful to the South Arts Team and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for this extremely generous grant and through their support we will be able to continue this important work and make an even larger impact within the Atlanta arts community and throughout the Southeastern Region.”
For more information, visit the NBAF website, NBAF.org.
About South Arts
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, South Arts is a nonprofit regional arts organization empowering artists, organizations, and communities, and increasing access to arts and culture. In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the State Arts Agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee — with additional funding from other public and private donors such as the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation — South Arts supports artists and organizations through a rich and responsive portfolio of grants, fellowships, and programs.
About The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
As the largest supporter of the arts and humanities in the US, the Mellon Foundation seeks to build just communities where ideas and imagination can thrive. To this end, our core programs support exemplary and inspiring institutions of higher education and culture. The Foundation makes grants in four core program areas: Higher Learning; Arts and Culture; Public Knowledge; and Humanities in Place.