JANUARY 2022, SOCORRO, TEXAS – The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Challenge America Program awarded $10,000 to the Socorro Youth !n Culture Program (SY!C). Challenge America grants offer support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to populations that have limited access to the arts due to geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. The $10,000 grant award will support the Socorro Art Walk project, a permanent public art installation developed by local Socorro youth from the Socorro Youth !n Culture Program (SY!C) and facilitated by the Construct Collective from El Paso, Texas.
As part of this project, Socorro youth will develop four (4) permanent public art pieces highlighting the history and culture of the Socorro community, including our community’s tie-in to the Bracero Program, the largest temporary guest worker program in U.S. history. Local artists from the Construct Collective, a local collective of sculptors led by local artist and UTEP Assistant Professor, Angel Cabrales, and local artists from the SY!C program, will mentor and guide local youth in the development, construction and installation of the permanent public art pieces to be located at the Rio Vista Community Center and Bulldog Championship Park in Socorro, Texas.
“These National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grants underscore the resilience of our nation’s artists and arts organizations, will support efforts to provide access to the arts, and rebuild the creative economy,” said NEA Acting Chair Ann Eilers. “The supported projects demonstrate how the arts are a source of strength and well-being for communities and individuals, and can open doors to conversations that address complex issues of our time.”
The $10,000 grant award will be matched at 1:1 by the City of Socorro for a total project cost of $20,000, further demonstrating the commitment of elected leaders to support local artists and further expanding exposure to the arts in our community.
To learn more about the SY!C Program, please visit www.costx.us/public-art/
