[San Antonio, TX | June 19, 2017] -- National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $82 million to fund local arts projects across the country in the NEA’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2017. Included in this announcement is an Art Works award of $15,000 to support Gemini Ink’s Creative Writing Classes programming and the annual summer Writers Conference. The NEA received 1,728 Art Works applications and will make 1,029 grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000.

“The arts reflect the vision, energy, and talent of America’s artists and arts organizations,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support organizations such as Gemini Ink, in serving their communities by providing excellent and accessible arts experiences.”

“Gemini Ink is particularly honored to receive funding from the NEA, which plays such a truly essential function in bringing high quality arts into communities across the US. [Our] programming must be accessible to the community, reflect the ecology of place and its peoples and cultures, and raise awareness of the voices and issues that make up the contemporary literary landscape. We are very lucky to be able to put on our programs in San Antonio, which has such a rich and varied literary landscape and history," said Sheila Black, Executive Director of Gemini Ink.

Every year, Gemini Ink provides affordable Creative Writing Classes to hundreds of people from the San Antonio community. Many of Gemini Ink’s programs, such as Writers in Communities, help to increase literacy and creativity in underprivileged areas of San Antonio. During the summer, writers from all across Texas and even the country come together for the 2017 Gemini Ink Writers Conference. The conference theme this year is “Writing for Change” and will include three days of dynamic panels, workshops and readings, all centered on how writing can be a catalyst for transformation in our lives and communities.

Creative Writing Classes Program Director, Alexandra van de Kamp, adds, "We're especially thrilled to be receiving NEA funding for the Creative Writing Classes portion of our programming, which offers fair-cost workshops taught by a diverse range of local and visiting authors. It also creates national platforms for vital and inclusive literary/cultural discussions through our summer writers conference. We've seen how access to creative writing, and the potential it can unleash in individuals and communities, has transformed people and lives."

To join the Twitter conversation about this announcement, please use #NEASpring17. For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, go to arts.gov