WASHINGTON — National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa announced April 23 that the Poston Community Alliance is one of 886 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant.
The Poston Community Alliance is recommended for a $20,000 grant to support a documentary film, “For the Sake of the Children,” a multigenerational story of survival, struggle and transcendence that begins with mothers who gave birth to and raised young children in one of America’s concentration camps.
Now, 70 years later after World War II, “For the Sake of the Children” explores the legacy of the Japanese American internment, its impact on current generations who are descendants of internees and the complex interplay of culture, racial prejudice, history, and intergenerational differences.
Shigekawa said, “The NEA is pleased to announce that the Poston Community Alliance is recommended for an NEA Art Works grant. These NEA-supported projects will not only have a positive impact on local economies, but will also provide opportunities for people of all ages to participate in the arts, help our communities to become more vibrant, and support our nation’s artists as they contribute to our cultural landscape.”
Marlene Shigekawa, executive producer, said, “The Poston Community Alliance and Fly on the Wall Productions are thrilled to be awarded this NEA grant supporting our significant media arts and educational initiative to preserve the history of the Japanese American internment experience.”
For more information on the project, write to Poston Community Alliance, 956 Hawthorne Dr., Lafayette, CA 94594; call (510) 290-1944; email Postonalliance1@gmail.com; or visit http://forthesakeofthechildren.blogspot.com/.
Art Works grants support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and enhancement of the livability of communities through the arts. The NEA received 1,515 eligible applications under the Art Works category, requesting more than $76 million in funding. Of those applications, 886 are recommended for grants for a total of $25.8 million.
For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, visit http://arts.gov.