Our Insights

Recently the National Endowment for the Arts launched the new Creative Forces Community Engagement Grants. The NEA developed this grant opportunity in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA), and M-AAA also manages the grant program. Christine Bial, M-AAA’s director of arts & humanities grant programs, spoke to us about this funding opportunity and what areas potential applicants should consider as they put together a proposal.

In March, the Creative Forces clinical team was busy hosting events and outreach efforts to communicate the value and efficacy of creative arts therapies in alignment with other national efforts—the annual March observance of Brain Injury Awareness Month, led by the Brain Injury Association of America, and Creative Arts Therapies Week during the third week in March, as designated by the National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapies Association.

Section 1 of Advances in Creative Forces® Clinical Research and Applications of the Creative Arts Therapies for Treating PTSD and TBI in Military-Connected Populations by Donna Betts

Image: Framework of representations of self as seen in mask imagery courtesy of Walker, Kaimal, et.al. 2017.

Original blog authored by Bill O'Brien Creative Forces Project Director published on the National Endowment for the Arts Creative Forces pages.  Image credit:Seal Fireteam An interpretation of a fireteam of U.S. Navy SEALs escaping a storm by Rusty Noesner. Photo courtesy of the artist.