NALAC fund to support Latino Artists and Arts Organizations.

The National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC) awarded 50 grants totaling $143,505 to 24 Latino artists and 26 Latino arts and culture organizations in the U.S. These awards are made through the NALAC Fund for the Arts (NFA), which is funded by the Ford Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, San Antonio Cultural Collaborative, Heineken and Southwest Airlines.

Through the NFA, NALAC has provided 128 grants totaling more than $379,000 to Latino artists, ensembles and small and mid-size Latino arts and culture organizations nationwide. “NALAC’s support of Latino artists and organizations ensures that our cultural life is enriched and made vital through diverse artistic and cultural expressions. We are pleased to support the creative process of Latino artists and organizations that are engaging communities, stimulating ideas and local economies, and building audiences for all of the nation’s arts,” said Abel Lopez, Chair of the NALAC Board.

“We are excited about the diverse group of supporters that invest in the NFA and sustain the Latino arts sector. We welcome new supporters, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and Heineken Green Ribbon Initiative and will continue to grow the circle of stakeholders who are subsidizing Latino creative expression,” states Maria De Leon, Executive Director of NALAC.

NALAC Fund for the Arts award ceremonies were held in Los Angeles and San Antonio and an additional award ceremony is planned for February 2008 in New York.

The NALAC Fund for the Arts complements existing NALAC services that continue to be effective strategies to advocate for and recognize the contributions of the Latino arts field. The NFA is the only national arts fund that provides monetary awards specifically for Latino artists and arts organizations working in music, dance, performance art, theatre, visual arts, media and literary arts. NALAC offers leadership and professional development services and technical assistance through its annual Leadership Institute, Regional Arts Training Workshops and national convenings. NALAC’s offices are headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.

Grant applications for the next funding cycle will be available at http://www.nalac.org> in March 2008.

The National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC) is dedicated to the preservation, development and promotion of the cultural and artistic expressions of the diverse Latino populations of the United States. Through this effort, NALAC is committed to continuing struggle for the elimination of racism, sexism, ageism and discrimination against gay, lesbian and physically challenged populations. The objective is to recognize and support the varied standards of excellence grounded in the aesthetics and traditions of our root cultures.