Articulations

With all the Presidential impeachment hoohah monopolizing the dispatches from our nation's capital of late, one cheerful bit of cultural news might have slipped by without your notice. The story is that five of the city's arts organizations are going to get handed some green by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in fiscal year 1999.

Yes, you read that right. The still kicking NEA -- our motto: "We Survived Congressional Demonization And All We Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt" -- actually has some cash to disperse to arts groups next year, and a handful of local organizations are among the lucky recipients. Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) made the announcement a few weeks ago, before our Commander-in-Grief was handed his historic honor by the U.S. House. According to Doggett, $204,000 in grants will be distributed to local cultural agencies as follows:

• $130,000 to Texas Folklife Resources in support of a collaborative project with the Texas Commission on the Arts to enable esteemed traditional musicians to provide demonstrations, workshops, and performances to underserved communities throughout Texas;
• $40,000 to the Austin Film Society in support of the exhibition of films and videos, presented as an art form and in an historical and cultural context, to members of the Austin community;
• $20,000 to Dance Umbrella in support of Dance Umbrella's ongoing presentation of dance activities in the Austin area;
• $8,000 to Frontera@Hyde Park Theatre in support of the residency of playwright Sharon Bridgforth and the commission of a play by her; and
• $6,000 to the Texas Fine Arts Association in support of an exhibition designed to survey emerging artists in Texas by focusing on the state's major artistic centers.

Doggett noted that "given that Congress has slashed the NEA's budget in recent years, it is especially heartening that these Austin arts organizations will receive the funding they need to enrich the lives of area residents. While some in Washington discourage artistic expression, our community welcomes and encourages a diversity of views and artistic undertakings." You tell 'em, Lloyd.

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New Exec to Lead TFAA

Well, as long as we're giving a hand to the Texas Fine Arts Association (TFAA), let's add a little applause for their new Executive Director. After 13 months of searching the nation, the statewide nonprofit that promotes contemporary artists and art has named a permanent successor to former director Sandra Gregor and Interim Director Susan Morehead. On January 11, Sue Graze joins the TFAA team in its brand-new home at 700 Congress, the Jones Center for Contemporary Art.

Graze is no stranger to the Lone Star State or its artists, having begun her career in the arts in the Seventies at the Dallas Museum of Art. She started out there as a Curatorial Assistant, then worked her way up to Registrar, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art, and ultimately Curator of Contemporary Art. Most recently, she's been employed as the Assistant Director of Programs and Senior Art Curator for the Miami Museum of Art, so this job offers her a welcome opportunity to return to Texas. Our sincere congratulations to Graze and to TFAA. This past year was a milestone in the life of this organization and it's a pleasure to head into 1999 at full strength again.