THE RAPID CITY ARTS COUNCIL RECEIVES A NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS BIG READ GRANT

For Immediate Release: June 11, 2024
THE RAPID CITY ARTS COUNCIL RECEIVES A NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS BIG READ GRANT 
Big Read Rapid City to Celebrate "Where We Live," December 2024 to March 2025
 
Rapid City— The Rapid City Arts Council (RCAC) is one of 62 organizations nationwide selected to receive a 2024-2025 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read grant. This matching grant of $20,000 will support a community reading program focusing on The Bear by Andrew Krivak and the theme “Where We Live,” in collaboration with the Rapid City Public Library, from December 2024 through July 2025. An initiative of the NEA in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the power of a shared reading experience.

“We are incredibly excited to present 'Big Read Rapid City' alongside the public library,” said RCAC Executive Director Jacqui Dietrich. "The Bear is a great book, and this collaboration welcomes all kinds of readers and partners to enjoy a free all-ages literary celebration. Festivities will kick off this winter with a book giveaway, with many other engaging events to be announced.”

About the Big Read, Rapid City Public Library Director Terri Davis said, “This partnership is of particular interest to the Rapid City Public Library, and is in keeping with the library’s mission and strategic plan. It’s a joint effort to support and encourage literacy and engage in community conversations around a shared topic. We are looking forward to discussions around The Bear by Andrew Krivak, and making the books available from both the library and the bookmobile.”
 
“The NEA Big Read brings the transformative experience of reading to an entire community,” said Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. “This year’s grantees, including the Rapid City Arts Council, are taking themes off the page and using creative programming to navigate difficult topics, explore new perspectives, and strengthen bonds between neighbors.”
 
The NEA Big Read offers a range of titles that reflect many different voices and perspectives, aiming to inspire meaningful conversations, artistic responses, and new discoveries and connections in each community. The main feature of the initiative is a grants program, managed by Arts Midwest, which annually supports dynamic community reading programs, each designed around a single NEA Big Read selection.
 
“Using the captivating power of literature, NEA Big Read events unleash the creative spirit that resides within all of us," said Torrie Allen, President and CEO of Arts Midwest. "We’re thrilled to support the work of grantees across the nation, including the Rapid City Arts Council, as they inspire conversations and artistic expressions through shared reading experiences.”
Big Read Rapid City events will start at the library and Dahl Arts Center and be held at diverse venues throughout the city, free and open to the public. Programs will include book discussions, workshops, an art exhibition, film screenings, performances, and educational events. The program will involve the area’s performing arts organizations, educational institutions, and naturalist, outdoor, and land management organizations, providing opportunities for the entire community to enjoy the unique Big Read Rapid City experience.
 
Since 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts has funded more than 1,800 NEA Big Read programs, providing more than $25 million to organizations nationwide. In addition, NEA Big Read activities have reached every Congressional district in the country. Over the past 15+ years, grantees have leveraged more than $57 million in local funding to support their NEA Big Read programs. More than 6 million Americans have attended an NEA Big Read event, over 100,000 volunteers have participated at the local level, and over 40,000 community organizations have partnered to make NEA Big Read activities possible. For more information about the NEA Big Read, including book and author information, podcasts, and videos, visit arts.gov/neabigread.

Readers, partners, and sponsors interested in Big Read Rapid City can learn more and subscribe to news and announcements at: rapidcityartscouncil.org/bigread
 
The Rapid City Arts Council (RCAC) champions the power of art to bring all kinds of people together, making art more accessible, more integral and more inspiring for the communities we serve.​ RCAC was established by community leaders in 1968 and has managed the Dahl Arts Center on behalf of the City of Rapid City since 1974. RCAC creates and supports diverse programming in exhibitions, performances, and educational classes, and works to expand arts and cultural resources for the community. Visit rapidcityartscouncil.org to learn more.
 
Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. Visit arts.gov to learn more.
 
Arts Midwest supports, informs, and celebrates Midwestern creativity. We build community and opportunity across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, the Native Nations that share this geography, and beyond. As one of six nonprofit United States Regional Arts Organizations, Arts Midwest works to strengthen local arts and culture efforts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, state agencies, private funders, and many others. Learn more at artsmidwest.org.

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For More Information:
Maggie Jean Wince
Rapid City Arts Council
605.394.4101 x5
[email protected]

 

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