ARLINGTON, TEXAS.-The Arlington Museum of Art (AMA) has been awarded a 2005 National Endowment for the Arts Challenge America: Reaching Every Community grant, to help underwrite its two fall 2005 exhibitions Rock, Paper, Scissors and Layered, Stacked, Assembled and related program activities, including the museum's first AMA Family Day.

The AMA is honored to receive NEA support for its exhibitions. The museum operates on a modest budget and the $10,000 award will help underwrite exhibition costs, including a portion of the costs associated with a catalog for Rock, Paper, Scissors and a portion of the salaries of education, curatorial and exhibition staff working on the exhibits and the accompanying programs. Rock, Paper, Scissors and Layered, Stacked, Assembled open to the public on Saturday, September 17 and continue through December 10 and 3, respectively. The museum's first ever AMA Family Day will be held Saturday, September 24 from 1-4 PM at the museum in downtown Arlington, with a variety of free hands-on visual art experiences for children and families.

The Arlington Museum of Art received a $15,000 National Endowment for the Arts Challenge America: Access to the Arts grant in 2004 to help support its long-running Art Around the Corner program, which serves up to 1,000 fifth graders annually from more than twelve Arlington Independent School District schools.

"As with last year's award, we are once again absolutely thrilled to have the NEA's support" stated AMA Director Anne Allen. "This grant, along with generous support from a local corporate sponsor, will allow us to fund these two exhibitions and hold our first AMA Family Day this fall. And of course we hope that National Endowment support sets an example for others to follow in supporting the arts in our community. We applaud the NEA for the work they do and thank them for this grant."

The National Endowment for the Arts believes that a great nation deserves great art.