Celebrating America's Artistic Legacy
American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius
For three centuries, Americans have contributed myriad artistic masterworks
to the world culture, including uniquely American art forms such as jazz and
musical theater. While some Americans may recognize Nickolas Muray's iconic
photographs of Judy Garland and Babe Ruth, or may even know that the name Martha
Graham has something to do with dance, for the most part American master artists
go unheralded at home. To make the artistic accomplishments of great American
artists better known to all Americans, the National Endowment for the Arts created
American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius.
American Masterpieces began in 2005 with support for the touring of exhibitions
of significant works of American art, including paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe,
modernist silver, and contemporary Native American works. In 2006 and 2007,
the program expanded to include choral music, dance, literature, and musical
theater.
Choral grants support regional choral festivals showcasing the rich and varied
repertory of American choral music by such significant composers as William
Billings and Libby Larsen.
In dance, American Masterpieces helps professional dance companies to revive,
perform, and tour works by such important American choreographers as José
Limón. Grants also are awarded to college and university dance departments
to allow student performers access to their often-unavailable dance heritage.
In musical theater, the Arts Endowment provides support for professional and
student productions of plays by Leonard Bernstein and Kurt Weill, among others,
in venues from Tennessee to Washington to North Carolina.
Developed in response to the NEA study Reading at Risk, which documented
the alarming decline in literary reading in the United States among all age
groups, the Big Read is the literature component of American Masterpieces. (The
Big Read will be featured in the next issue of NEA Arts.)
In 2008, the music component of American Masterpieces will shift to chamber
music created for small ensembles. Projects that present a number of different
art forms in a single performance also will receive grant support through the
program.
In just two years, hundreds of communities and thousands of citizens have participated
in one or more of the American Masterpieces exhibitions, performances, or events.
In coming years, these projects will introduce thousands more to the wondrous
treasure house of America's artistic legacy.
Douglas Sonntag Director,
National Initiatives
National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20506 |
