Ovation Applauds Arts Workforce Projects

Arts network Ovation TV has given out its 2017 grants for projects that prepare artists for jobs in creative industries.

The awards, from the Ovation Foundation, were given out March 10 in Los Angeles. 

"During a time when the value of the arts is being questioned and federal support is being threatened, the programs showcased here today are irrefutable proof that our country’s creative industries are key drivers of innovation, job creation, and economic growth," said Ovation Foundation president Liz Janneman. "Through The Ovation Foundation, we hope to underscore that even a little support and seed money can go a long way to encourage and inspire innovation in communities across the country.”

The National Endowment for the Arts is expected to be one of the agencies hard hit in the new President's budget, expected to be unveiled this week.

The grants, $20,000 apiece, went to:

Juxtaposition Arts (JXTA), which started in Minneapolis in 1995, "anchors a commercial corridor where they are advancing a long-range vision to activate the creative genius of youth," said Ovation. JXTA also got a grant last year from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

New Orleans Video Access Center (NOVAC), a media arts nonprofit, does "workforce training, independent filmmaker workshops, community film education events, youth media programs, community based video productions and video preservation services."

Project H Design (Berkeley, Calif.) "uses the power of design, architecture, and hands-on building to amplify the raw brilliance of youth, transform communities, and accelerate job and college opportunities for under-resourced teenagers," said Ovation. 

Storefront for Community Design in Richmond, Va., provides "low-cost design assistance, design education, and community engagement efforts." 

WriteGirl (Los Angeles) promotes "creativity and self-expression to empower girls within a community of women writers."

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.