FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The University of Saint Francis has been approved as a recipient of a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to use for support of its Jesters program.
National Endowment for the Arts Acting Chairman Mary Anne Carter has approved more than $27 million in grants as part of the Arts Endowment’s first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2019.
Included in the announcement is an Art Works grant for “Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works” of $25,000 to the University of Saint Francis for support of the Jesters program.
“This award is especially exciting in light of this being our 40th anniversary year,” said Allison Ballard, Director of Jesters. “Not only are we grateful for the opportunity the funding provides, we are also very grateful for the recognition and credibility this grant award gives our program.”
The Jesters is a performing arts group of people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD), ages 8 through senior citizens. The Jesters will present their spring performance at 6 p.m. March 9 and 3 p.m. March 10 at the USF North Campus auditorium, 2702 Spring St.
“The Jesters program is one of the most beautiful expressions of what we do here at USF,” said Colleen Huddleson, Dean of the School of Creative Arts. “It is an immersive educational atmosphere where participants and students can experience the creative arts in multiple platforms. We are so grateful for the NEA funding which will allow us to strengthen the impact of this incredible program.”
Art Works is the National Endowment for the Arts’ principal grant-making program. The Arts Endowment convened panels to review 1,605 eligible applications for funding and the agency will award 972 grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000. Through these grants, the National Endowment for the Arts supports local economies and preserves American heritage while embracing new forms of creative expression.
“The arts enhance our communities and our lives, and we look forward to seeing these projects take place throughout the country, giving Americans opportunities to learn, to create, to heal, and to celebrate,” Carter said in a released statement.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 70 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the School of Health Sciences, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership and School of Creative Arts. In addition to its traditional programs, USF designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. USF Downtown houses the university’s business and music technology programs while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis campus experience includes 16 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships, and is recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution. Approximately 2,200 students from a broad geographic region attend USF.