516 ARTS is honored to announce that it has been awarded a prestigious national grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in New York for $100,000 ($50,000 a year for two years).

The primary focus of the Warhol Foundation's grant making activity has been to support the creation, presentation and documentation of contemporary visual art, particularly work that is experimental, under-recognized or challenging in nature. The program has been both proactive in its approach to the field of cultural philanthropy and responsive to the changing needs of artists. A strong commitment to freedom of artistic expression led the Foundation to play an active advocacy role for artists during the culture wars of the 1990s and continues to inform its support of organizations that fight censorship, protect artists' rights and defend their access to evolving technologies in the digital age. The Foundation's grant making activity is focused on serving the needs of artists by funding the institutions that support them.

Over the past eight years, 516 ARTS has blossomed into a major hub for the arts in New Mexico and a vital bright spot in Downtown Albuquerque's revitalization process. Although this grant is an important piece of 516 ARTS' budget, the organization still needs community support to continue its mission.

516 ARTS Executive Director Suzanne Sbarge says, "This multi-year grant is not only a tremendous help financially to our small nonprofit organization, but it is also a wonderful endorsement of our work and mission. It shows that the quality of our programs stands out on the national stage. I hope the news of this grant helps to convey to local businesses that 516 ARTS is a leading charitable organization that is well worth supporting. The work we do at 516 ARTS helps to make Albuquerque competitive with thriving cities around the country."
As a grant recipient, 516 ARTS joins a list of highly respected organizations and museums across the country including SITE Santa Fe, RedLine in Denver, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art and Headlands Center for the Arts in California, and The Jewish Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the New Museum and The Whitney Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

In response to 516 ARTS' current Digital Latin America project, 516 ARTS Board member Nancy Salem said, "The opening weekend showcased the amazing contribution 516 ARTS, through its collaborations, exhibitions and education, makes to the community. There's nothing like it. The multi-site exhibition was breathtaking, attended by thousands of people who not only viewed the artwork but interacted with it. I was thrilled to be part of something that raises Albuquerque's cultural and artistic profile to an international level."

Digital Latin America, a group exhibition featuring new media artists from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Navajo Nation, Peru and the US, is on view at 516 ARTS through August 30, 2014. The gallery is open Tuesday - Friday, 12-5pm.
For information about 516 ARTS, visit www.516arts.org.
For information about The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, visit www.warholfoundation.org.