The Center for Great Neighborhoods (The Center) has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
The $10,000 grant will be used to support the design of the Hellmann Creative Commons, a public space outside of the Hellmann Creative Center.
“We’re excited to add another element of art and creativity to the MLK corridor,” said Sarah Allan, Program Director, Creative Placemaking at The Center. “The Hellmann Creative Center is going to be a gathering space for the community, and this grant from the NEA will help us reinvigorate the exterior of the building just as we’ve preserved the history inside.”
Work on the Hellmann Creative Center will be completed this summer, and the Hellmann Creative Commons project will enhance the outdoor offerings of the building. The grant money will be used for the first phase of the project as The Center gathers input from the community and works with local design professionals to create a design for the lot.
Once fully funded, in addition to parking, the space will feature sculptures designed and installed by local artists in a new apprenticeship program collaborating with established artists doing a one-month residency in Covington for the project.
“The arts are all around us, enhancing our lives in ways both subtle and obvious, expected and unexpected,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Supporting projects like the one from The Center offers more opportunities to engage in the arts every day.”
The NEA announced more than $82 million in grants to fund local arts projects and partnerships in 2016. Two other local organizations, Catacoustic Consort and the Cincinnati Museum Association also received grants in this round of funding.