Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block (TMA) to Receive $25,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
Tucson, AZ – Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block (TMA) has been approved for a $25,000 Grants for Arts Projects award to support Centering Relevance: Bringing Regional, 21st Century Significance to Exhibitions and Collections through Contemporary Artist Activations. This project will strengthen the relevance of the museum’s permanent collection exhibitions by working with three regional contemporary artists to create artistic interventions and related public programs. TMA’s project is among 1,248 projects across America totaling $28,840,000 that were selected to receive this first round of fiscal year 2022 funding in the Grants for Arts Projects category.
“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts projects like this one from Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block that help support the community’s creative economy,” said NEA Acting Chair Ann Eilers. TMA in Tucson is among the arts organizations nationwide that are using the arts as a source of strength, a path to well-being, and providing access and opportunity for people to connect and find joy through the arts.”
Since 2016, TMA has worked to position itself as a culturally responsive, community-centered institution representing and advocating for its communities. Centering Relevance is a response to several years of comprehensive community input, professional consultation, and organizational reflection.
“As an institution that seeks to explore new ways of engagement between the museum’s collection and our community of contemporary artists, Centering Relevance supports a integrated program the puts the two in direct dialogue,” said Jon and Linda Ender Director and CEO, Jeremy Mikolajczak. “We are grateful to ongoing support from the NEA to engage in bold ideas that allow the museum to work holistically, creating a greater impact in our community.”
Led by Dr. Marianna Pegno, Director of Engagement and Inclusion, in partnership with Christine Brindza, Senior Curator, Glasser Curator of Art the American West, and Dr. Kristopher Driggers, Assistant Curator, Schmidt Curator of Latin American Art, Centering Relevance will focus on building contemporary access points to our Latin American Art and Art of the American West and Indigenous Arts collections. Prioritizing curatorial strategies that are collaborative and responsive, this initiative is designed to propel TMA’s recently completed IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) Plan’s principles of relevancy, community, respect and multivocality while also positioning TMA’s permanent collection exhibitions as living and evolving community resources.
About the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block
As an institution built upon the original territories of the O’odham, the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block (TMA) acknowledges the Indigenous Sonoran Desert communities, past and present, who have stewarded this region throughout generations.
TMA connects art to life through meaningful and engaging experiences that inspire discovery, spark creativity, and promote cultural understanding. Founded in 1924, TMA encompasses an entire city block in historic downtown.
Tucson and is committed to developing quality exhibitions, expanding, and diversifying its collection and presenting relevant and innovative programs while broadening public access to the arts.
The museum features exhibitions of Modern and Contemporary art, Latin American art from ancient to today, Indigenous arts and Art of the American West. A permanent collection of over 11,000 works of art spans continents, centuries, and media. TMA’s campus includes five properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, an art education center and research library, the Museum Store, and the highly acclaimed museum restaurant Café a la C’Art. TMA is a private 501(c)(3) charitable arts and education organization. More info: TucsonMuseumofArt.org or (520) 624-2333.
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For general media inquiries contact Iesha Doane, Marketing and Communications Manager at idoane@tucsonmuseumofart.org or 520-616-2687
For exhibition-related media inquiries contact Colter Ruland, PR for Artists at colter.ruland@prforartists.com or (520) 370-4602