National Endowment for the Arts

06/17/2026

“Sometimes with PTSD, it’s really hard to verbalize what [veterans] have been through. But they can play it out. They can drum it out. They can strum it out.” – Creative Forces music therapist Tonya Jackson

Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network is currently funding a stepped-care music listening research study at the Richard L. Roudebush Veterans’ Administration Medical Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. The study explores whether working with a music therapist can help veterans manage chronic pain and related challenges, including depression, anxiety, stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

June is PTSD Awareness Month. While PTSD can affect anyone, veterans experience higher rates than their civilian counterparts. Learn more about how music therapy research is supporting veterans in our latest Creative Forces Spotlight:

Learn about the Creative Forces research study “Stepped-Care Intervention of Music and Imagery to Assess Relief (SCIMITAR)” which is exploring how working with a music therapist can help veterans manage chronic pain and related challenges such as depression, anxiety, stress, and post-traumatic s...

06/16/2026

It is with great sadness that the National Endowment for the Arts acknowledges the passing of pianist, composer, and 2019 NEA Jazz Master Abdullah Ibrahim.

Ibrahim combined the rhythmic influences of South Africa with jazz improvisation to create his spiritually enriching music, whether performing solo, with a trio, a full band, or an orchestra. This blend of the traditional and the modern was reflected in his distinctive style, harmonies, and musical vocabulary.

It is with great sadness that the National Endowment for the Arts acknowledges the passing of pianist, composer, and 2019 NEA Jazz Master Abdullah Ibrahim.

06/16/2026

✨ Grant spotlight: Borderlands Theater's Barrio Stories Project ✨

With support from a $40,000 NEA grant, Borderlands Theater's interactive, place-based Barrio Stories Project highlights local history as part of the larger American story. 🇺🇸

Swipe ➡️ to learn more or read the full blog: https://bit.ly/43IqV9V

06/15/2026

🎭✨ It’s showtime!
Join us TONIGHT at 7:30 PM ET for Challenge Accepted!—a concert celebrating the winners of the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students.
This partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Alliance for Musical Theatre partner spotlights the next generation of musical theater creators—from submission to stage.
🎶 Original songs performed live in NYC
Livestream available at arts.gov
Don’t miss this inspiring night of new voices and bold storytelling.
📸Addie Symonds

06/12/2026

Last month, National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Mary Anne Carter traveled to Utah to highlight the role arts and culture play in communities across the state and to celebrate projects connected to America’s 250th anniversary. ✨

Highlights of the trip included:
⭐️ The launch of the 2026 program at Hill Aerospace Museum
⭐️ The Utah Arts Alliance's 2026 Culture Connects Conference
⭐️ A visit to the Utah State Capitol & "Pen is Mightier: Writing a Revolution" exhibit with Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson
⭐️ And a look at Eden International Arts and Film Festival's arts education programming

Thank you to everyone who welcomed us to Utah!

06/11/2026

With FIFA World Cup 2026™ kicking off today, the National Endowment for the Arts joins the global celebration through its grants supporting arts projects in each of the U.S. cities hosting these games. This summer, we’ll share stories from across the country that highlight the joy, community, and cultural connections sparked by both the games and the vibrant arts projects they inspire—including a grant to the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. As part of their Arts at Play project, visitors at Pérez Art Museum Miami can experience Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture—an immersive exhibition of over 100 global artworks paired with community workout sessions—showcasing how sports unite people across cultures and identities.

📸 Lazaro Llanes

06/10/2026

As we countdown to America’s 250th anniversary, the National Endowment for the Arts is bringing the nation together through the unforgettable sound of U.S. military bands.
With grants awarded across the country, communities will come alive with free concerts, vibrant performances, and powerful musical moments that honor service, history, and unity.
From stirring marches to joyful celebrations, these projects remind us that music doesn’t just mark history—it makes it!

https://bit.ly/4vwZviY

Photo: Daniel Swartz

06/03/2026

It is with great sadness that the National Endowment for the Arts acknowledges the passing of 2011 NEA Opera Honoree Speight Jenkins, who also served on the National Council on the Arts from 1996-2000. Jenkins was recognized nationally as a leading authority on opera and one of the most influential and accomplished general directors in the United States.

Our full statement ⬇

It is with great sadness that the National Endowment for the Arts acknowledges passing of Speight Jenkins, who also served on the National Council on the Arts.

06/01/2026

NEA Research Director Sunil Iyengar will give welcoming remarks at this event--tune in online! The Arts Endowment co-funds one of the networks, focused on music and pain management.

🎵 Join us virtually on June 8 for the 2026 Annual Music Research Network Investigator Meeting.

Hear from leading researchers, clinicians, and federal partners from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institute on Aging - NIH, and the National Endowment for the Arts, as they explore how music influences pain management and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

👉 Learn more about the symposium: https://calendar.umaryland.edu/?month=6&day=08&year=2026&view=fulltext&id=d.en.974187×tamp=1780934400&

05/29/2026

🎨📚 Creativity meets history!

In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Second Lady Usha Vance invited K–8 students nationwide to reimagine America through art—and the results are extraordinary.

With winners across three grade bands, these young artists offer powerful reflections on our nation’s past, present, and future. ✨

Stay tuned as they are celebrated this summer at the Great American State Fair!

https://bit.ly/4dTX7vy