National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa recently announced that the Amon Carter Museum of American Art is one of 895 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. The Amon Carter is recommended for a $70,000 grant to support the exhibition Navigating the West: George Caleb Bingham and the River. This is the largest grant out of 45 that were awarded to Texas organizations. The Amon Carter is the only museum in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to receive an award.

Navigating the West is an important exhibition featuring 17 iconic river paintings and nearly 40 drawings, revealing for the first time how George Caleb Bingham (1811–1879) created his art and artistic persona at a time when American painting, like the country, was dramatically shifting. Then and now our nation’s waterways—how they are used, controlled, and the lives of the people closest to them—remain a current and important issue. The exhibition is on view October 2, 2014 through January 18, 2015.

Acting Chairman Shigekawa says, “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support these exciting and diverse arts projects that will take place throughout the United States. Whether it is through a focus on education, engagement, or innovation, these projects all contribute to vibrant communities and memorable experiences for the public to engage with the arts.”

“Receiving this prestigious NEA grant is certainly an honor,” says Andrew J. Walker, director of the Amon Carter. “The support will help us create an exhibition that engages and resonates with our diverse audiences.”

Art Works grants support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence: public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and enhancing the livability of communities through the arts. The NEA received 1,528 eligible Art Works applications, requesting more than $75 million in funding. Of those applications, 895 are recommended for grants for a total of $23.4 million.

For a complete list of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA website at arts.gov.

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art offers outstanding exhibitions and public programs for adults and children and is open Tuesday–Saturday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Thursday until 8 p.m. and Sunday from 12–5 p.m. Admission is always free. More information at www.cartermuseum.org.