FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE      
February 5, 2009 

Contact: Maria De Leon
210-432-3982
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SAN ANTONIO – The National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC) awarded $143,400 to 22 Latino artists and 17 Latino arts and culture organizations in the United States. These awards are made through the NALAC Fund for the Arts (NFA), the only national arts fund specifically for Latino artists and arts organizations in the United States.   The NALAC Fund for the Arts is made possible with funding from the Ford Foundation, the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the San Antonio Cultural Collaborative, Heineken USA and Southwest Airlines. 

NALAC is pleased to announce the creation of its first Master Artist Grant. The 2008-2009 Master Artist Grant is in the discipline of music and made possible with the continued support from Heineken USA. The NALAC - Heineken Green Ribbon Master Artist Music Grant awards $20,000 to help further the artistic work of an adult Latino musician. Pianist and composer, Elio Villafranca has been selected to receive this award to compose a concerto of three movements for a contemporary symphonic orchestra. This piece will feature Afro Cuban percussion and a mariachi ensemble at Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts (MECA) in Houston, Texas. 

Through the NALAC Fund for the Arts, NALAC has provided 187 grants totaling more than $523,000 to Latino artists, ensembles and small and mid-size Latino arts and culture organizations throughout the U.S.  “NALAC is pleased that it can continue to support the creative process of Latino artists and organizations through the NFA, now in its fourth year. NALAC values the importance of sustaining the arts, especially Latino arts, in communities across the nation. Now more than ever, it is important to invest in the arts, and stimulate ideas, civic engagement, and local economies.” said Abel Lopez, Chair of the NALAC Board. A list of all NFA recipients is available on the NALAC website (www.nalac.org).

Maria De Leon, Executive Director of NALAC, states, “The NALAC Fund for the Arts has established itself as an important mechanism of support for the Latino artistic community, and has helped in the development of many new projects across the country.  We are excited to be able to offer the first Master Artist grant in Music and look forward to continue honoring the work of master artists who have devoted a lifetime to their work. We thank the many funders who continue to support the Latino artistic field through the NFA.”

The NFA is the only national arts fund in the country that provides support specifically for Latino artists and arts organizations working in music, dance, performance art, theatre, visual arts, media and literary arts. In addition to the NALAC Fund for the Arts, NALAC provides support to Latino artists and cultural organizations across the United States in the form of several other core programs. NALAC provides 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 fifth year funding cycle will be available on NALAC’s website at www.nalac.org in April 2009.

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.

NALAC receives generous support from the Ford Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Southwest Airlines, MetLife Foundation, Heineken USA, Texas Commission on the Arts, The Tobin Endowment, City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs, the Alice Kleberg Reynolds Meyer Foundation, Tucson Pima Arts Council, San Antonio Area Foundation, Our Lady of the Lake University, P.E.C. Charities, NALAC members, individual donors and volunteers. 

To view the 2008-2009 List of Grantees click HERE

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