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Initiatives

The National Endowment for the Arts works with other federal agencies, state and local governments, state and regional arts agencies, and private nonprofits on projects that provide opportunities for thousands of Americans to experience quality arts programming throughout the country.

Arts and Healing: Creative Forces at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Hospital

In this video from the Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, we traveled to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, to learn how art therapy and music therapy are transforming the lives of service members at JBER’s Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic.
Watch the Video
A man in a military uniform stands inside an aircraft hanger facing the camera with a giant American flag hanging in the background.

Colonel John M. Romspert, Director of Staff - Air, Joint Force Headquarters, Alaska Air National Guard, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Photo by Devin Pickering

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Celebrating America's 250th Anniversary
The National Endowment for the Arts' celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence can be seen across the agency’s activities, from grantmaking to national initiatives.
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Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network
Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the U.S. Department of War and Veterans Affairs that seeks to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for military and veteran populations exposed to trauma, as well as their families and caregivers.
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Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge
An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in partnership with the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT), the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge is opportunity for high school students to develop and showcase musical compositions that could be a part of a musical theater production.
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Arts Education Partnership
The Arts Education Partnership, a collaboration among the Arts Endowment, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Education Commission of the States as well as all AEP partner organizations, convenes forums to discuss topics in arts education, publishes research materials supporting the role of arts education in schools, and acts as a clearinghouse for arts education resource material.
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Blue Star Museums
Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of War and museums across America, offering free admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve.
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International
Through cooperative initiatives with other funders, the National Endowment for the Arts brings the benefit of international exchange to arts organizations, artists, and audiences nationwide.
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Mayors' Institute on City Design
A partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the Mayors’ Institute on City Design convenes mayors and design experts to solve the most critical planning and design challenges facing their cities.
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National Folklife Network
The National Folklife Network is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Southwest Folklife Alliance and in collaboration with Alliance for California Traditional Arts and First Peoples Fund to advance cultural equity by strengthening the folklife infrastructure in both rural and urban communities across the United States.
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NEA Big Read
The National Endowment for the Arts Big Read broadens our understanding of ourselves and our neighbors through the power of a shared reading experience. Managed by Arts Midwest, this initiative annually provides support to selected nonprofit organizations around the country to host dynamic community-wide reading programs in collaboration with local partners to develop and conduct engaging events and activities.
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NEA Research Labs
The National Endowment for the Arts Research Labs (NEA Research Labs) program will yield empirical insights about the arts for the benefit of arts and non-arts sectors alike.
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Poetry Out Loud
A partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and participating state and jurisdictional arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud is a dynamic poetry recitation competition for high school students. In recognition of American250, the 2025-2026 Poetry Out Loud program will focus on poems that celebrate the rich tapestry of American history and culture.
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Save America's Treasures
Established in 1999, The Save America’s Treasures program, a partnership between the National Park Service, National Endowment for the Humanities, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the NEA, helps preserve nationally significant historic properties and collections.
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Shakespeare in American Communities
Shakespeare in American Communities is a program to bring professional theater companies to middle and high schools throughout the country to perform Shakespeare’s plays and conduct educational activities. The National Endowment for the Arts presents the program in partnership with Arts Midwest.
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Women's Suffrage Centennial
The National Endowment for the Arts is pleased to be participating in the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and women’s constitutional right to vote.

Past Initiatives

Artist rendering of a new main street intersection in a rural town
Citizens' Institute on Rural Design
The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) was a leadership initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Housing Assistance Council and buildingcommunityWORKSHOP.
Two men and one woman filmmakers setting up an indoor camera shoot
Independent Film & Media Arts Field-Building Initiative
The Independent Film & Media Arts Field-Building Initiative took place between 2019 and 2025 and focused on creating a space for knowledge exchange and relationship-building for individuals working in the film and media arts industry.
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Sound Health Network
The Sound Health Network (SNH), a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts with the University of California, San Francisco, was established to promote research and public awareness about the impact of music on health and wellness.