Meet Me at UMMA provides a guided gallery experience for people living with memory loss and their care partners. The program’s expansion will build and innovate on UMMA’s current program by recruiting and training community volunteers who will infuse new perspectives into the program through personal or professional experiences related to memory loss. The project will also integrate new research on the role of the arts and the senses to engage adults with memory loss, allowing UMMA to further develop collaborative learning partnerships in the community.
“We are very fortunate to have NEA support to further develop this vital program that has positively impacted hundreds of community members,” said UMMA Interim Director Kathryn Huss.
UMMA’s grant is part of the agency’s recent announcement of $84 million in funding for arts projects in every state and jurisdiction across the country. Art Works is the NEA’s largest category and focuses on funding the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with art, lifelong learning in the arts, and strengthening of communities through the arts. Competition for this round of NEA grants was significant; the agency received 2,063 eligible applications and awarded 1,195 grants.
The value of NEA funding is not only its monetary impact but also its reputation. An NEA grant confers a seal of approval for projects and organizations.
“The American people are recognized for their innovative spirit and these grants represent the vision, energy, and talent of America’s artists and arts organizations,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “I am proud of the role the National Endowment for the Arts plays in helping advance the creative capacity of the United States.”
Learn more about Meet Me at UMMA. To join the Twitter conversation about this announcement, use #NEASpring17. For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov.