The Wallace Theater has announced it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Grants for Arts Projects award of $50,000.
This grant will support Arts Education for the Wallace Theater and partnering schools and arts organizations. In total, the NEA will award 1,135 Grants for Arts Projects awards totaling more than $37 million as part of its second round of fiscal year 2024 grants.
“Projects like the Wallace Theater’s Collective Impact Project exemplify the creativity and care with which communities are telling their stories, creating connection, and responding to challenges and opportunities in their communities—all through the arts,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “So many aspects of our communities such as cultural vitality, health and wellbeing, infrastructure, and the economy are advanced and improved through investments in art and design, and the National Endowment for the Arts is committed to ensuring people across the country benefit.”
The initiative by the Wallace Theater to address the need for arts education in Hockley County is a commendable effort. Students in rural communities deserve the same opportunities in the arts available in larger cities and across the country.
According to a Texas Cultural Trust report (March 2021), students in Texas Rural communities have 70% less access to arts courses than students in suburban communities. Upon learning that information, the Wallace Theater became convinced they could use their relationships and expertise to convene the community to change these circumstances for the 4,500 students in rural Hockley County.
“This grant will help support an Emerging Collective Impact project with the goal of ensuring that all 4,500 students in rural Hockley County have access to high-quality arts education in each grade level with plans to expand regionally,” said Alycyn Keeling, Executive Director of the Wallace Theater. “We are honored for our community, the Wallace Theater, our partners, and our work to be recognized in this way on a national level.”
The Emerging Collective Impact project will foster a Creative Learning Initiative in Hockley County.
This aims to leverage the collective impact framework, which is a structured approach to making collaboration work across government, business, philanthropy, non-profit organizations, and citizens to achieve significant and lasting impacts.
By aligning the efforts with school leaders, city and county leaders, community college leaders, and arts leaders, the initiative seeks to ensure that every student in Hockley County has the opportunity to engage with arts and cultural programming. Such initiatives are vital for fostering creativity, improving academic performance, and enhancing the overall quality of life for students.
For more information on other projects included in the NEA’s grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.