Arts-based Community Development Investment for Ogden
Ogden City one of 69 nationwide selected for National Endowment for the Arts Our Town projects
July 20, 2015 - OGDEN, UTAH – National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Jane Chu announced 69 Our Town awards totaling almost $5 million through the Our Town program's fifth year of funding. The NEA received 275 applications for Our Town this year and will make grants ranging from $25,000 to $200,000. Ogden City is one of those organizations recommended for an Our Town award and will receive $50,000 to support development of the Ogden Arts Hub and associated creative campus.
The Our Town grant program supports creative placemaking projects that help to transform communities into lively, beautiful, and resilient places with the arts at their core. Since the program’s inception in 2011 and including these projects, the NEA will have awarded 325 Our Town grants totaling almost $26 million in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.
Ogden City will use the Our Town funding to develop a community vision for the Jefferson Arts District, with a focus on planning and design for the proposed Ogden Arts Hub and associated creative campus. This community arts hub will house arts organizations, support arts education and outreach, and provide critical resources to artists, makers, and entrepreneurs. The project will also include professional development for local artists. The project is a partnership between Ogden City, Weber Arts Council, UNION Industrial Coworking (a creative makerspace), and other key stakeholders.
“Ogden City demonstrates the best in creative community development and whose work will have a valuable impact on its community,” said Chairman Chu. “Through Our Town funding, arts organizations continue to spark vitality that support neighborhoods and public spaces, enhancing a sense of place for residents and visitors alike.”
“We are thrilled to have been selected to receive this prestigious award,” said Ogden City Mayor Mike Caldwell. “The Our Town funding will support arts in Ogden as well as community development, and both will in turn contribute to the development of an emerging arts district and the ongoing revitalization of our East Central neighborhoods.”
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For a complete listing of projects recommended for Our Town grant support, please visit the NEA web site at arts.gov. Project descriptions, grants listed by state and by project type, and resources are available as well. The NEA’s online resource, Exploring Our Town, features case studies of more than 70 Our Town projects along with lessons learned and other resources.
