WASHINGTON, DC.- The National Endowment for the Arts today announced $19.8 million in one-time grants under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) to the state arts agencies and regional arts organizations to support the arts sector of the economy. Potential recipients include organizations in the performing, visual, and literary arts.

"We applaud the ready response demonstrated by our national, state, and regional partners to support the arts," said NEA Acting Chairman Patrice Walker Powell. "We look forward to witnessing the positive impact of this funding opportunity."

The NEA’s state and regional partners will invest their Recovery funds in projects that assist arts organizations in retaining critical staff as well as artists and other contractual personnel. These critical staff will enhance the ability of arts organizations to realize their artistic and public service goals. State and regional agencies will mirror the NEA’s Recovery grant program and adapt their programs to respond to the particular needs of their constituents.

In July, the Arts Endowment will announce a second category of NEA Recovery grants, one-time direct grants to nonprofit arts organizations including local arts agencies, statewide assemblies of local arts agencies, arts service organizations, and other arts organizations. These grants will support the nonprofit arts sector, which has seen declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn.