“The NEA wants to award more grants, hence this gathering,” Gioia said.

The workshop, held at the Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College’s Enka Campus and hosted by Rep. Charles Taylor, R-Brevard, was designed for prospective NEA grant applicants in the 11th Congressional District as part of the agency’s outreach to North Carolina.

“I’m begging you to apply for a grant today,” said Tony Chauveaux, NEA Deputy Chairman for Grants and Awards.

The NEA is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts — both new and established — bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Arts Endowment is the largest national organization that funds the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases. Federal funding is provided to the NEA through the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, of which Rep. Taylor is Chairman in the House of Representatives.

Too often organizations applying for grants make simple mistakes such as not knowing enough about the process, Chauveaux said.

“Pick up the phone and calls us and that increases your chances of being funded,” he said.

For example, the NEA will not fund commercial enterprises, the creation of a new organization, pursuit of an academic degree, general operating budgets, individual schools, facility construction or projects designed to re-grant monies. Also, applicants — which must be 501c3 organizations — may only apply for one grant per year, but may partner up with another organization for a joint application.

Other helpful hints were akin to high school term paper rules — don’t reduce application font size below 12-point type. It drives panelists selecting who receives grant awards crazy, Chauveaux said.

And as a testament to terrorism’s pervasive impacts in the oddest of places — don’t send in applications via the regular U.S. Postal Service. The NEA’s mail is subject to anthrax screening, which tends to melt work samples, CD cases, brochures and most anything else, Chauveaux said. Instead, send applications via Priority Mail or through services such as FedEx.

Grants from the NEA are available in several areas: arts education, dance, design, folk and traditional arts, literature, local arts agencies, media arts: film/radio/television, museums, music, musical theater, operate, presenting, state and regional, theater and visual arts. Each area has its own grant award categories.

More than half of the NEA’s grant applications are entered under the Access to Artistic Excellence category, Chauveaux said. Consequently, it is one of the most competitive categories to enter.

Recently awarded grants in the region include the following: $40,000 to the Asheville Art Museum to support a series of exhibitions documenting the history of artistic innovation and experimentation at Black Mountain College; $45,000 to the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design to support writing and editing of 20th Century American Studio Craft, a survey of craft history; $20,000 to Ron Rash and $20,000 to Mary Adams for literature fellowships; and $10,000 to the Stecoah Valley Arts, Crafts and Educational Center to support An Appalachian Evening, a series of traditional entertainment and music events connected to Appalachian heritage for both 2005 and 2006.

For more information about NEA grant opportunities, visit www.nea.gov.