ART WORKS Guidelines: NEA-NPS "Imagine Your Parks" Funding Collaboration

Background

To mark the 50th anniversary of the NEA in 2015, and the National Park Service's (NPS) Centennial in 2016, both agencies are working together to encourage the creation of and greater public engagement with art relating to the work and mission of our national park system. Artistic expression of thrilling landscapes and moving American stories played an important role in the roots of the conservation movement, making a collaboration between the agencies a perfect partnership.

As the keeper of 401 park units, 23 national scenic and national trails, and 58 wild and scenic rivers, NPS is charged with preserving these lands and historic features that were designated by the nation for their cultural and historic significance, scenic and environmental worth, and educational and recreational opportunities.

Through the Art Works category, we encourage projects that engage communities with and relate the arts to these memorable places and the landscapes they preserve. We also invite a new generation of Americans to find their park. Projects might include the commissioning and presentation of new work in or near one of these locations, or festivals in these settings. Additional project examples are listed in these guidelines for each artistic discipline.

Please note:

• Collaborative partnerships with the selected park area or program are strongly encouraged.
• For a project being proposed within a unit of the national park system, applicants first must consult with the  NPS official designated for this funding opportunity. Please contactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Projects that enhance or promote public engagement in urban environments, or that engage younger generations with the national park system, are of special interest.
• The national park system comprises 401 areas covering more than 84 million acres in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These areas include national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House. Across the country, the National Park Service manages the designation of 2,500 National Historic Landmarks, collaborates with 49 National Heritage Areas and designates 54,000 miles of scenic and historic trails. Applicants may consider any ofthese NPS-managed areasas sites of activity in a project proposal.
• Projects with environmental implications (e.g., an arts festival in a park, the commissioning and installation of an outdoor sculpture) or projects that would affect historic properties must comply with theNational Historic Preservation Act(NHPA) and/or theNational Environmental Policy Act(NEPA).