West Virginia’s arts and culture just got a boost through a federal grant.
The National Endowment for the Arts, or NEA, awarded West Virginia nearly $800,000 this week to support programs that aim to preserve the state’s cultural history and promote arts education.
According to a release from the NEA, the funds are meant to help provide access to the arts for people across the country and support programs that provide jobs to artists, administrators, and other creative workers.
The majority of West Virginia’s award will be given to the West Virginia Division of Culture and History – through a grant of more than $650,000. The Heritage Farm Foundation, which works to preserve and develop Old Central City in Huntington, will see $75,000 of the grant.
Other groups that will see some of the funds, include the West Virginia Humanities Council ($34,000), the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra ($15,000), and Allegheny Echoes ($10,000) – an organization based out of Marlinton that helps support summer workshops that focus on Appalachian arts and music.