National Endowment for the Arts Leaders Convene in Philadelphia for October Meeting

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) held a two-day meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 28 and 29, 2026. The gathering brought together NEA Chairman Mary Anne Carter and members of the National Council on the Arts (NCA) to engage with arts projects supported by the agency throughout the city and state.

During the visit, the council participated in site tours and a public meeting. On October 28, the group visited the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), which received a $45,000 grant in fiscal year 2026 to support a printmaking and papermaking residency program exploring American identity. The council toured PAFA’s Brodsky Center printmaking facilities and viewed "A Nation of Artists," an exhibition celebrating American art.

Later that afternoon, the council visited The Clay Studio: Center for Innovation in Ceramic Art. The Clay Studio was awarded a $20,000 grant to support an exhibition by Philadelphia-based artist Roberto Lugo, whose work focuses on American culture. The studio also participates in the Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant Program, running Operation Mud, a ceramics program for veterans that promotes stress reduction, self-expression, and community building. The council met with Lugo and Bradford Davis, a retired U.S. Army Captain and resident artist involved with Operation Mud.

On October 29, the National Council on the Arts held a public meeting from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., open to the public and webcast live. The meeting featured discussions with directors of NEA-supported research labs studying the impact of the arts on pediatric healthcare. Drexel University’s Girija Kaimal presented research on creative arts therapies in pediatric cancer care, including a demonstration using a drawing exercise for patients. Nicole Robinson from Akron Children’s Hospital discussed narrative medicine’s role in improving patient care and outlined plans to study health outcomes related to literary arts engagement.

The NEA has supported more than 1,600 projects nationwide commemorating America’s 250th anniversary, including over 50 in Pennsylvania. In fiscal year 2026 alone, 82 Pennsylvania organizations received NEA grants, such as BalletX, COSACOSA, Farm Arts Collective, Pittsburgh Symphony, ReadingFilmFEST, and the Westmoreland Museum of Art. Over the past five years, the NEA has distributed more than $26.5 million in federal funds to Pennsylvania arts organizations through direct grants and partnerships.

This visit was coordinated in collaboration with Pennsylvania Creative Industries, powered by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and Creative Philadelphia, highlighting the ongoing partnership between federal and local arts entities.