By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka Fine Arts Camp has been selected for a $35,000 National Endowment for the Arts grant, SFAC and NEA have announced.
The Fine Arts Camp is one of eight Alaska organizations selected for the Grants for Arts Projects.
The grant will support SFAC’s summer programs, including scholarships for four summer camps held for students ages 5 through 19.
“It is an honor to receive the national recognition for the quality of our program with this extremely competitive grant,” SFAC executive director Roger Schmidt said Tuesday. “The NEA funding supports our mission of providing access to high-quality arts education for all Alaska students. 2023 marks our 50th year serving Alaska’s children.”
The grant for the is one of 1,251 Grants for Arts Projects awards totaling $28.8 million that were announced by the NEA as part of its first round of fiscal year 2023 grants.
“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts projects in communities nationwide,” NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson said in the announcement. “Projects such as this one with Sitka Fine Arts Camp strengthen arts and cultural ecosystems, provide equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, and contribute to the health of our communities and our economy.”
SFAC officials said signups are going well, with a wait list started for high school camp dorm space but space available for other camps. The programs run June 5 to July 30.
