Slaughter Announces Four NEA Grants Totaling $97,500 for District Organizations

Funding Will Support Arts Programs in Buffalo and Rochester

Washington, DC - Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-Fairport), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, is pleased to announce that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has awarded four organizations in Buffalo and Rochester with grants to continue their work. The funding will be part of the NEA's 2006 round of grants.

"By creating jobs and expanding minds, the arts give back to our communities in the most valuable of ways," Rep. Slaughter said. "By investing in our region's arts, the NEA is making an investment in our future," she added.

A list and description of the four grants can be found below:

The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra has been awarded $20,000 to support semi-staged performances of "Shining Brow," an opera with music by Daron Hagen and liberetto by Paul Muldoon. The two-act work chronicles the life of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and will feature the orchestra with chorus and soloists.

Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. in Rochester has been granted $10,000 to support its creation and presentation of a new work by artistic director and choreographer Garth Fagan. Outreach events in honor of the company's 35^th anniversary will also benefit from the funds. Mr. Fagan's company plans to tour across the United States and overseas.   

BOA Editions, Ltd. in Rochester has been granted $25,000 to support the publication of new volumes of poetry. Poets scheduled to be published include W.D. Snodgrass, Deena Linett, Steve Kronen, and Richard Garcia.

Lastly, the George Eastman House in Rochester has been awarded $42,500 to support its efforts preserving numerous endangered films, some dating back to the 1920's and before.