National Endowment for the Arts Awards 50 Grants for Celebrating America250: Arts Projects Honoring the National Garden of American Heroes

Washington, DC-In anticipation of America's upcoming 250th anniversary, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has awarded 50 grants for arts projects taking place across the country in celebration of the national heroes listed in Executive Order 13978, "Building the National Garden of American Heroes". Each of the grant recipients will receive $25,000 for their projects, which will take place throughout 2026.

NEA Senior Advisor Mary Anne Carter said, "As our nation approaches its 250th anniversary, the National Endowment for the Arts is honored to support communities across the country in recognizing the individuals whose contributions have defined our history. Through artistic expression, these projects will both commemorate these heroes' legacies while affirming the enduring role of the arts in shaping America's future."

The NEA was named as a key partner in President Trump's "Celebrating America's 250th Birthday" Executive Order, which calls for the establishment of the Garden of Heroes. The National Endowment for the Humanities is supporting the design and creation of the statues that will make up the National Garden. The 50 NEA-supported Celebrating America250: Arts Projects Honoring the National Garden of American Heroes will honor these individuals highlighted through a variety of artistic disciplines.

Projects include:

• In Alexandria, Louisiana, a grant to the Alexandria Museum of Art will support artist commissions to create new works inspired by the eight poets represented in the National Garden of American Heroes-Emily Dickinson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Edgar Allan Poe, Phillis Wheatley, and Walt Whitman.
• In Fairfax, Virginia, a grant to American String Teachers Association will support newly commissioned works for youth choir and string orchestra to celebrate Billie Holiday, Sally Ride, and Amelia Earhart.
• In Salt Lake City, Utah, a grant to Eden Festival Incorporated will support a series of performances, educational programs, and digital initiatives designed to honor American heroes through music and storytelling. Honored heroes include Irving Berlin, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Emily Dickinson, Duke Ellington, Woody Guthrie, Billie Holiday, Francis Scott Key, Vince Lombardi, and Walt Whitman.
• In Montgomery, Alabama, a grant to Montgomery Symphony Association will support the world premiere of a new orchestral work by composer Dr. Nkeiru Okoye honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
• In New Britain, Connecticut, a grant to New Britain Museum of American Art will support an exhibition and programming celebrating the work of Norman Rockwell.
• In Asbury Park, New Jersey, a grant to OmniARTS Foundation Inc. will support a concert of American song and opera excerpts inspired by the life of Muhammad Ali, accompanied by the live creation of visual artworks.
• In Peekskill, New York, a grant to Paramount Hudson Valley Arts will support artist fees for an original play inspired by historic events surrounding the foiled plot to surrender West Point to the British during the Revolutionary War, highlighting George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, Ben Franklin, Nathan Hale, and Alexander Hamilton.
• In St. Louis, Missouri, a grant to Sheldon Arts Foundation will support a series of arts events celebrating trumpeter and composer Miles Davis.
• In Notre Dame, Indiana, a grant to University of Notre Dame du Lac will support community printmaking workshops honoring the lives of Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton.

See the full list of grants .

Learn more about how the NEA is celebrating America250 on our website.