WASHINGTON, DC – Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation today announced that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is awarding a new $200,000 “Our Town” grant to help upgrade Kennedy Plaza and make it a more lively center of arts and culture.  This federal funding, which U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Jim Langevin and David Cicilline supported in the fiscal year 2011 Appropriations bill, will be used to help support arts programming and a phase II design initiative for Greater Kennedy Plaza.

“This federal funding will help upgrade Kennedy Plaza and make it a more welcoming, vibrant public plaza.  Transforming the area from a transit hub to a social and cultural destination will help bring more people downtown and provide an economic boost to the city and state,” said the members of the delegation in a joint statement.

In 2008 the City of Providence began an effort to turn Kennedy Plaza from an underutilized, downtown plaza into a lively gathering space where families and visitors can enjoy the work of local artists, shop for unique items at the Marketplace Bazaar, and enjoy live entertainment. A coalition, including representatives from the Downtown Improvement District, the Providence Foundation, and the Rhode Island Public Transport Authority (RIPTA) banded together to begin planning the overhaul and sponsored daily events, such as Public Square Tuesdays; Farmers’ Market Fridays at Burnside Park; and Rhythm and Soul Sundays with live music performances.

The City was one of more than 440 communities across the country to submit a statement of interest to apply for this year’s funding.  NEA awarded 51 Our Town grants totaling just over $6.5 million nationwide.  These new matching federal “Our Town” grants will help further contribute toward the transformation of Kennedy Plaza into a more pedestrian friendly, cultural destination.  

 “Our Town” grants are used to assist communities in improving their quality of life, encouraging creative activity, creating community identity and a sense of place, and revitalizing local economies.  Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts generate, on average, six dollars from non-federal sources for each dollar awarded.

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