Creative Forces Announces Grants for Projects That Support Military-Connected People

From Creative Forces –

Washington, DC—The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance, is pleased to announce the 2025 Creative Forces® Community Engagement grant recipients. Forty-eight organizations have been awarded grants totaling more than $886,000. These community-based arts projects aim to address the experiences, challenges, and strengths of our military communities. View the list of recipients and projects on maaa.org/CreativeForces.

“As our nation commemorates the 250th birthdays of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps this year, the National Endowment for the Arts is pleased to continue our support of arts engagement projects that enrich the lives of those who have served our country,” said Mary Anne Carter, senior advisor for the National Endowment for the Arts.

“Through the Creative Forces Community Engagement grants, hundreds of thousands of veterans, active military members, and caregivers have developed creative skills, tapped into their personal resolve, and deepened their resilience,” says Todd Stein, president and CEO of Mid-America Arts Alliance. “These grants and their projects underscore the essential role of the arts in strengthening people and the communities they call home.”

Arts engagement and non-clinical arts programming can help improve the well-being and resilience of military-connected people and support successful life transitions. Examples of projects supported include:

• East Tennessee State University Research Corporation/StoryCollab in Johnson City, Tennessee will present Voices of Valor: A Veteran Storytelling Initiative
• Symphony of the Mountains in Kingsport, Tennessee will present Home of the Brave: Annual Veterans Day Concert

About Creative Forces 

Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs that seeks to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for military and veteran populations exposed to trauma, as well as their families and caregivers.

Since 2022, the Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant program has supported 149 projects across 38 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to Community Engagement grants, Creative Forces’ Clinical Program brings creative arts therapies to military patients and veterans who are receiving care at Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs facilities across the nation. Creative Forces is managed in partnership with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine and Mid-America Arts Alliance. More information can be found at arts.gov/CreativeForces.