A pair of grant announcements last week have added up to nearly $100,000 in cash for Colorado artists and nonprofits.
On Monday, the Los Angeles-based arts advocacy organization United States Artists released its latest round of USA Fellowship grants, including Boulder dancer Michelle Ellsworth. The organization’s sixth round of grants — 50 in all totaling $2.5 million — included $50,000 for Ellsworth, who has performed at and received commissions from companies in Colorado, New York, Washington, Texas and Florida.
As a USA Knight Fellow, she was recognized for her innovative approach to dance and multimedia art, having created websites, films and cartoons that cast the art form in a new light. Ellsworth is a professor and co-director at CU-Boulder’s theater and dance program.
In addition, National Endowment for the Arts chairman Rocco Landesman on Tuesday announced the recipients of $1.62 million in Challenge America grants, including four Colorado organizations receiving $10,000 each.
The grants recognized the Creede Repertory Theatre’s multistate Young Audience Outreach Tour, the Crestone Performance’s culture-mixing Enrichment Initiative at its Crestone Music Festival, Denver’s International Institute for Indigenous Resource Management and its Native American-centered Film & Arts Festival, and the Pueblo Performing Arts Guild’s proposed plans for the Pueblo Creative Industry Building Complex.
Go to for a full list of Challenge America recipients, and unitedstatesartists for the complete winners of United States Artists fellowship grants.
