National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Jane Chu announced two days ago that Pentacle (DanceWorks, Inc.) is one of 919 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. Pentacle is recommended for a $40,000 grant to support the expansion of Pentacle’s Help Desk® and Back Office programs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York.
Pentacle’s mission is to provide small/mid-sized dance groups and project-based dance makers with superior, flexible, affordable management support. Pentacle does the management and administrative work so dance makers and dance groups have more time to create, perform and engage with the world. With support from the NEA Pentacle plans to stabilize and expand Help Desk® and Back Office to reach a larger, more diverse group of dance companies and dance makers. Pentacle proposes to do this in several ways: confirming Help Desk® hub sites in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago while expanding the reach of the program nationally; increasing the capacity of Back Office in its current cities (L.A., San Francisco, Chicago, New York) and to other regions; use Back Office to pilot a management incubator for dance groups/artists of color; develop professional training program for young arts administrators through Back Office (in conjunction with our Cultivating Leadership in Dance); and develop technological pathways to better network Help Desk®/Back Office participants and stakeholders.
NEA Chairman Jane Chu said, “I’m pleased to be able to share the news of our support through Art Works including the award to Pentacle. The arts foster value, connection, creativity and innovation for the American people and these recommended grants demonstrate those attributes and affirm that the arts are part of our everyday lives.”
Pentacle’s co-Director, Felicia Rosenfeld said, “This is the 35th year that Pentacle has received support and that we are honored that the NEA continues to express its support and faith in the work Pentacle does.”
Art Works grants support the creation of art, public engagement with art, lifelong learning in the arts, and enhancement of the livability of communities through the arts. The NEA received 1,474 eligible applications under the Art Works category, requesting more than $75 million in funding. Of those applications, 919 are recommended for grants for a total of $26.6 million. For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA website at arts.gov. Follow the conversation about this and other NEA‐funded projects on Twitter at #NEAFall2014.
Pentacle (DanceWorks, Inc.), established in 1976, is a not-for-profit management support organization providing services and programming to small and mid-sized performing artists and companies in a sustained way, on an expert level, and at an affordable price. Pentacle responds and adapts to the ever-changing needs of the community so that the artists it serves are able to do what they do best – create works of art. Core infrastructure support services provided directly to artists in all phases of their careers, include: Booking and Artist Representation and Fiscal Administration for both incorporated and unincorporated artists. Pentacle’s ongoing programs include: Behind the Scenes (a high school educational program); Cultivating Leadership in Dance (internships); Pentacle producing projects including Fall Further, Pentacle Presents! (showcases), Kinetic Cinema (dance film screenings), and Home Grown a pilot performance series; Metro STEP (an audience engagement project); Help Desk® (a mentoring program) and Back Office (providing direct staffing to companies and projects).