The NEA and Stimulus $$

As reported at the L.A. Times‘s Culture Monster the NEA has already posted information about how to apply for some of the $50 million awarded to the agency as part of the recent stimulus package.

According to the site:

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides $50 million to be distributed in direct grants to fund arts projects and activities which preserve jobs in the non-profit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn. Forty percent of such funds will be distributed to State arts agencies and regional arts organizations and 60 percent of the funds will be competitively awarded to nonprofit organizations that meet the eligibility criteria being established for this program.

Individual organizations looking to apply have to act fast—the deadline is April 2nd. These grants are “for projects that focus on the preservation of jobs in the arts,” and the projects are limited to:

Salary support, full or partial, for one or more positions that are critical to an organization’s artistic mission and that are in jeopardy or have been eliminated as a result of the current economic climate; and/or

Fees for previously engaged artists and/or contractual personnel to maintain or expand the period during which such persons would be engaged.

Full details on how to apply can be found here.