LANSING, MI – Peckham has been awarded a grant of $10,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts for its Gateway to Inclusion project. The grant was awarded as a part of the Arts Endowment’s Challenge America grant program, which supports projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations – those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics or disability.
The Gateway to Inclusion: a Community Sculpture, will be a visual representation of the values of diversity, community, inclusion and connectedness. The project is a collaboration between Peckham and the Capital Region International Airport and will be installed on the Capital City Blvd. median by September 30, 2019.
“The arts enhance our communities and our lives, and we look forward to seeing these projects take place throughout the country, giving Americans opportunities to learn, to create, to heal, and to celebrate,” said Mary Anne Carter, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
The artist for the project is Ivan Iler of St. Johns, MI, who specializes in large-scale metal fabrication. He was selected from a pool of seven finalists after a lengthy review process that included Peckham clients, Wayne Sieloff, CEO of the Capital Region Airport Authority and Barb Whitney, executive director of the Lansing Art Gallery. The grant funds will directly support the creation of the sculpture through the purchase of materials, as well as the design provided by Iler.
Carter has approved more than $27 million in grants as part of the Arts Endowment’s first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2019. For more information on this National Endowment for the Arts grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that funds, promotes, and strengthens the creative capacity of our communities by providing all Americans with diverse opportunities for arts participation.
Peckham, Inc. is a nonprofit vocational rehabilitation organization. Our mission is to provide a wide range of opportunities to maximize human potential for persons with disabilities who are striving for greater independence and self-sufficiency. Peckham, Inc. was named by Great Place to Work® as one of the best workplaces for flexibility in the United States. Peckham came in 13th on the list, thanks to our combination of flexible workplace policies and a culture that encourages people to make the most of them.