REAL Exclusive Magazine

Sarasota Opera  Receives $28,000 Grant.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced that Sarasota Opera was recommended for a grant of $28,000 to support activities for the Youth Opera Little Nemo in Slumberland. This is the second grant from the NEA for the project, the first being a grant in the amount of $15,000 towards the commissioning of the piece. As part of the federal agency’s second round of fiscal year 2011 grants, Sarasota Opera is one of 1,145 not-for-profit organizations recommended for a grant. In total, the Arts Endowment will distribute more than $88 million.

“To be frank, this a big deal”, says Executive Director Susan Danis. “With the economic and political challenges being faced by the National Endowment for the Arts today, we feel incredibly fortunate and humbled by their endorsement of this project through the award of this grant. We are just beyond thrilled to see this project begin to take form and to be able to offer this incredibly unique opportunity to the dedicated young singers of the Sarasota Youth Opera and the students at the University of Kentucky.” 

An independent agency of the federal government, the National Endowment for the Arts advances artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman said, “NEA research shows that three out of four Americans participate in the arts. The diverse, innovative, and exceptional projects funded in this round will ensure that Americans around the country continue to have the opportunity to experience and participate in the arts.”