Chatham receives NEA grant in recognition of Words Without Walls 10th anniversary

Chatham University has received a $10,000 Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), recognizing the 10th Anniversary of Words Without Walls, a collaborative project between the Chatham University MFA in Creative Writing program, Allegheny County Jail, and Sojourner House.  This grant will bring visiting writers Shaka Senghor and Renee Watson to Chatham for a reading series and dialogue event, with visits to Sojourner House, Allegheny County Jail, and the Maenad Fellowship program.  In addition to the reading series, a chapbook will be published, featuring the work of the visiting writers and the students’ creative responses to their work. 

The NEA has approved more than $80 million in grants as part of the second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2019.  The agency received 1,592 Art Works applications for this round of grantmaking, and will award 977 grants in this category.  “These awards, reaching every corner of the United States, are a testament to the artistic richness and diversity in our country,” said Mary Anne Carter, acting chairman of the NEA.  “Organizations such as Chatham University are giving people in their community the opportunity to learn, create, and be inspired.”