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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Good evening to my partners in preservation,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">As all of you have recently had Federally declared disasters, I am forwarding the announcement below in case you know of a rural community that can use planning and design assistance.
<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/ruralandproud.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/rfa.pdf__;!!NZFi6Pppv9YRQw!vJH9FQvfC1eVaGosZ4wROhoe86ETrqb0kQLSRMq-n6VRN5oe2pnX03tm0FfTiF8F5OlA_3zoPndxLtMqFFHzDynXy3QeXw$">
rfa.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Deadline: March 27, 2026.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Please share with your networks.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p>A National Endowment for the Arts colleague has started a program with Mellon funding to support design thinking and planning in rural areas. I wanted to share information on it with you. It’s functioning much like the NEA’s Citizen’s Institute on Rural
Design did, and they are very interested in working with communities during disaster recovery.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><b><i><u><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue"><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.bcg.studio/__;!!NZFi6Pppv9YRQw!vJH9FQvfC1eVaGosZ4wROhoe86ETrqb0kQLSRMq-n6VRN5oe2pnX03tm0FfTiF8F5OlA_3zoPndxLtMqFFHzDymdkGysUg$">Building Common
Ground: Fieldwork</a></span></u></i></b><i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> is now open for applications. It’s a national program offering pro bono design and development support to rural and Tribal communities working on place-based,
humanities-centered projects, often early-stage, often community-led, and often under-resourced.</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
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<i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Fieldwork grew out of our experience working on the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design, where we consistently heard from rural and Tribal leaders who had strong ideas, but limited access to the design,
planning, and development support needed to move them forward.</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
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<i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">If you know a rural community, cultural organization, or local leader who’s been carrying an idea and needs support to move it forward, we’d be grateful if you’d help spread the word.</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
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<i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Here are a few ways to learn more or share:</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin-left:47.25pt"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black">·</span></i><i><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">
</span></i><i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Program overview / RFA summary:
</span></i><i><u><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue"><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/ruralandproud.org/rfa/__;!!NZFi6Pppv9YRQw!vJH9FQvfC1eVaGosZ4wROhoe86ETrqb0kQLSRMq-n6VRN5oe2pnX03tm0FfTiF8F5OlA_3zoPndxLtMqFFHzDyndyHpbhg$">https://ruralandproud.org/rfa/</a></span></u></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin-left:47.25pt"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black">·</span></i><i><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">
</span></i><i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Full RFA + application:
</span></i><i><u><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue"><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/ruralandproud.org/rfafull/__;!!NZFi6Pppv9YRQw!vJH9FQvfC1eVaGosZ4wROhoe86ETrqb0kQLSRMq-n6VRN5oe2pnX03tm0FfTiF8F5OlA_3zoPndxLtMqFFHzDylGB2yyFA$">https://ruralandproud.org/rfafull/</a></span></u></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Happy Monday!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Eleanor<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Eleanor Billington</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Civic Partnerships Manager | Partnership Division</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">National Endowment for the Arts</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">400 7th Street SW | Washington DC 20024</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="mailto:billingtone@arts.gov">billingtone@arts.gov</a> | 202-682-5728 (p) | 202-682-5669 (fax)</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p><img border="0" width="300" height="148" style="width:3.125in;height:1.5416in" id="x_x_Picture_x0020_756163667" src="cid:ii_19c0ba129284cff311"><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Learn more about the arts in your community at
</span><u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:blue"><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.arts.gov/__;!!NZFi6Pppv9YRQw!vJH9FQvfC1eVaGosZ4wROhoe86ETrqb0kQLSRMq-n6VRN5oe2pnX03tm0FfTiF8F5OlA_3zoPndxLtMqFFHzDyl9xqiKvw$">arts.gov</a></span></u><o:p></o:p></p>
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