Contact: Kay Takeda
(202) (212) 674-9744 ext. 203

New York, NY — Arts International is pleased to announce the performing artists selected to receive the latest round of grants from The Fund for U.S. Artists at International Festivals and Exhibitions. The Fund is a unique public–private partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S. Department of State and the Rockefeller Foundation, with additional support for the performing arts from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Arts International, the only nonprofit organization in the United States dedicated exclusively to global cultural exchange in the arts, is the administrator of The Fund.

This year, The Fund will provide almost $1 million in grants to ensure that the excellence, diversity and vitality of the arts in the United States are represented at international festivals and exhibitions. In the last of three performing arts grant rounds in 2003, The Fund awarded 16 grants, totaling $119,200, to support performances at festivals in 13 countries around the globe. Individual artists, ensembles and companies ranging from emerging to established in the disciplines of dance, music and theater, were awarded grants through the program.

"Since 1981, Arts International has been a leader in promoting global exchange in contemporary art," says President Noreen Tomassi. "Over the years we have seen artists and presenters expand the scope and depth of their international projects, generating new ideas and paradigms for exchange. Through programs like The Fund, we are proud to enable U.S. artists to participate in these important dialogues and share their unique voices with audiences around the world."

In this round, The Fund will support the progressive Jazz ensemble Either/Orchestra's first appearance in Africa to accept the Ethiopian Music Festival's first invitation to a U.S. Artist. Internationally renowned composer, arranger, and clarinetist Don Byron will travel to New Zealand for the country's premier cultural event, the biennial New Zealand International Arts Festival. The Builders Association will make their South American debut in Colombia's Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogotá, featured as a part of the festival's thematic focus on the use of new technologies in the performing arts. The Fund will also enable the multiple Bessie Award-winning company, Doug Varone and Dancers, to bring their kinetic and compelling dances to Italy's Vetrinadanza International Festival of Dance and Invito alla Danza.

Click here for a complete list of grant recipients (PDF, 72K).

Arts International is an independent, not-for-profit, contemporary arts organization dedicated to the development and support of global cultural interchange in the arts and to educating audiences and the public about the richness and diversity of arts worldwide. Headquartered in New York, AI carries out its work through global projects and partnerships, new media ventures and publications, and advised funds and regranting programs offering opportunities for artists and arts organizations working internationally.