WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3) announced that the Louisville-based Council on Developmental Disabilities has received a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to fund an innovative new art show next year.

The grant, part of the Challenge America Fast-Track program, will go toward the production of The Striped Show, a group exhibition that will include works created by artists with disabilities. The theme of the show is diversity.

“The arts are a powerful driver of economic activity in Louisville, and they contribute immensely to our cultural growth,” Congressman Yarmuth said. “I am proud to support the efforts of the Council on Development Disabilities, and I will continue working to ensure federal recognition of the arts and their ability to broaden understanding in our community and society.”

The Striped Show will open at the Weber Gallery in April. The gallery is aprogram of the Council on Developmental Disabilities. Exhibitions are collaborations that showcase professional artists and artists with disabilities. But The Striped Show goes a step further, with artists, artworks, and the audience participating in a coordinated demonstration of diversity.

“With The Striped Show, we hope to demonstrate that art, as a language common to all humanity, has the power to bridge every gap,” said Carol Mueller, Director of the Weber Gallery. “When people of every stripe enjoy this language together, the worlds of art and humanity are elevated. We are honored to receive support from the National Endowment for the Arts that will enable us to accomplish this important project.”

The Challenge America Fast-Track grant program offers support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for 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. Projects include commissions, residencies, rehearsals, workshops, performances, exhibitions, publications, festivals, and training programs. 

This round of grants awards more than $1.5 million in matching grants to 153 organizations across the country. Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts generate, on average, $8 from non-federal sources for each dollar awarded.

There are more than 1,500 arts-related businesses in Louisville. They employ almost 8,000 residents and, along with local nonprofit arts organizations, generate more than $260 million in economic activity in our city every year.

For more information on the Council on Developmental Disabilities, please click here.