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Please see the full solicitation for complete information about the funding opportunity. Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO).��

Program Summary

Through In anticipation of the 250th anniversary of American Independence in 2026, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is pleased to announce a special grant opportunity to honor the contributions to American history of the individuals who will be featured in the National Garden of American Heroes. NEA is accepting proposals for works of art in a range of formats: plays, operas, literary arts, concerts, visual arts, museum exhibitions, etc. that honor these individuals.

Projects may take place in any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. jurisdictions.

The National Garden of American Heroes “will feature a roll call of heroes who deserve honor, recognition, and lasting tribute…” Among the individuals to be honored in the garden are the likes of John Adams, Muhammad Ali, Susan B. Anthony, Neil Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Francis Scott Key, Elvis Presley, Norman Rockwell, Maria Tallchief, Frank Lloyd Wright, and many others.

For example, arts projects could support the commissioning of new works of art and/or the presentation of existing works of art that celebrate these exceptional Americans. We encourage applicants to be creative in how and where they present or create art celebrating any of these individuals. Projects are not limited to honoring only artists; they may celebrate heroes in any domain represented in the list (e.g., scientists, athletes, statesmen, etc.).

Deadlines

���� Internal Deadline: 11:59pm MST June 26, 2025

Sponsor Application Deadline: 9:59pm MST July 14, 2025

Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)

• Project Summary (2 pages maximum): 1) explain your choice of individual(s) and how the project honors their contributions to American history; 2) outline the key activities planned during the project period; 3) list participating artists, productions, exhibitions, publications, or artworks; if not yet confirmed, describe your selection criteria and process (final artist/artwork list required for NEA approval before grant award); 4) summarize the content and themes of the planned activities and works; 5) describe the creative development process (for projects involving new work);and 6) include any related engagement, outreach, or educational components.
• Budget Overview (1 page maximum): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required.

To access the online application, visit:

Eligibility

Applicants must have at least a five-year history of arts programming.

Limited Submission Guidelines

Eligible organizations may submit one proposal for this special grant opportunity.

Award Information

• Award Amount: $25K
• Award Duration: 1 year
• Anticipated Number of Awards: 15 – 20

Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed based on the criteria below, with equal weight assigned to�� artistic excellence and artistic merit.

The artistic excellence of the project includes:

• Degree to which the proposal demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of this funding opportunity, namely the project’s potential to honor and celebrate the contributions to American history of one or more of the individuals to be featured in the National Garden of Heroes.
• Quality of the works of art to be featured in the project.
• Qualifications of the artists and any artistic partners involved in the project.
• Quality of similar or related activities administered by the applicant organization.

�ճ����artistic merit of the project includes:

• Degree to which the project correlates to the applicant's mission, experience, and programming.
• Ability to conduct the project on time and within budget including the clarity of the project design, and the qualifications of the project personnel.
• The reasonableness of the budget.��