NEA Press Release – May 12, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Mayumi Hamanaka, mayumi@kala.org, 510-841-7000

Date: May 12, 2021

Kala Art Institute receives a $20,000 Media Arts/Grants for Arts Project award from the National Endowment for the Arts

May 12, 2021 (Berkeley, CA)—Kala Art Institute has been awarded a $20,000 Grants for Arts Projects award to support Kala’s media arts residency program. Kala’s project is among the more than 1,100 projects across America totaling nearly $27 million that were selected during this second round of Grants for Arts Projects fiscal year 2021 funding.

“As the country and the arts sector begin to imagine returning to a post-pandemic world, the National Endowment for the Arts is proud to announce funding that will help arts organizations such as Kala reengage fully with partners and audiences,” said NEA Acting Chairman Ann Eilers. “Although the arts have sustained many during the pandemic, the chance to gather with one another and share arts experiences is its own necessity and pleasure.”

“We are grateful to the NEA for their support of Kala’s special artist residency initiatives, especially during these challenging times, ” said Executive Director Ellen Lake. “With this support, we are excited to welcome new media artists to Kala’s artist residency program in the coming year to create and share new work in and across video, sound, performance cinema, and installation.”

For a complete listing of media arts projects recommended for support, please visit the NEA web site here.

About Kala: Kala is a vital community hub for artistic experimentation. Located in West Berkeley, Kala annually serves 100+ artist-in-residence and offers a range of workshops open to the public in techniques ranging from screen-print to sculpture. Kala’s youth art programs reach 2,500 students in Alameda County public schools and through on-site youth art programs like Camp Kala, After School Studio, and Teen workshops. In addition to core residency and education programs, Kala provides professional development opportunities for artists including commissions for new work, exhibitions, teaching, consulting, and art sales. With access to a wide array of traditional and digital equipment in the print studio and digital lab, Kala fosters a fresh approach to artistic experimentation, as Kala artists investigate the interface of digital work, work made by hand, and everything in between. To learn more about Kala, please visit our website, https://www.kala.org