If you recall, this October, the Nasher is going ‘off-campus’ to mark its 10th anniversary with a community-wide program it’s calling Nasher Xchange. Itll feature ten, new, commission works that’ll be seeded around town. And the idea got some traction in D.C.: It won the Nasher its first NEA grant.

The full release:

Nasher Sculpture Center Receives National Endowment for the Arts Grant to Support Nasher XChange

DALLAS, Texas (April 25, 2013) – The Nasher Sculpture Center is pleased to announce that it has been recommended to receive a $60,000 Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support the Nasher XChange exhibition, which will commemorate the center’s 10th anniversary this fall. The communitywide public art exhibition will feature 10 newly – commissioned public sculptures by contemporary artists at sites throughout Dallas from October 19, 2013 to February 16, 2014. This is the first NEA grant ever received by the Nasher Sculpture Center, which is among only four organizations in Dallas and Fort Worth to have been recommended this grant cycle. In total, the NEA has awarded grants for 817 non-profit organizations from around the country totaling more than $26 million.

“We are honored to have the support of the NEA as we work to engage new audiences through Nasher XChange, which covers a diverse range of sites and approaches to sculpture and represents the first citywide, museum-organized public art exhibition in the United States,” said Nasher Director Jeremy Strick.

Nasher XChange will feature 10 unique works of art by Lara Almarcegui, Good/Bad Art Collective, Rachel Harrison, Alfredo Jaar, Liz Larner, Charles Long, Rick Lowe, Vicki Meek, Ruben Ochoa, and Ugo Rondinone, displayed in a variety of geographical, social, historical, environmental, and esthetic settings around the city of Dallas. These projects will be enhanced through important collaborations with key community partners who will contribute to the artistic process, alongside the artists and the Nasher Sculpture Center.

According to the NEA, the Art Works grant program encourages and supports the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening of communities through the arts, including implementing innovative ways of reaching and expanding audiences.

Of the recent grant recipients, Acting NEA Chairman Joan Shigekawa said, “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support these exciting and diverse arts projects that will take place throughout the United States. Whether it is through a focus on education, engagement, or innovation, these projects all contribute to vibrant communities and memorable opportunities for the public to engage with the arts.”

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at arts.gov.

About the Nasher Sculpture Center:

Open since 2003 and located in the heart of the Dallas Arts District, the Nasher Sculpture Center is home to one of the finest collections of modern and contemporary sculptures in the world, the Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection, featuring more than 300 masterpieces by Calder, Giacometti, Matisse, Picasso, Rodin, and more. The longtime dream of the late Raymond and Patsy Nasher, the museum was designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano in collaboration with landscape architect Peter Walker.

Hailed by the “USA Today” as one of the great sculpture gardens where art enhances nature, the roofless museum seamlessly integrates the indoor galleries with the outdoor spaces creating a museum experience unlike any other in the world. On view in the light-filled galleries and amid the landscaped grounds are rotating works from the Collection, as well as blockbuster exhibitions and one-of-a-kind installations by the most celebrated artists of our times. In addition to the indoor and outdoor gallery spaces, the Center contains an auditorium, education and research facilities, a cafe, and a store.

The Nasher brings the best of contemporary culture to Dallas through special programs designed to engage visitors, including artist talks, lecture programs, contemporary music concerts, educational classes and exclusive member events.

The Nasher Sculpture Center is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm and until 11 pm for special events, and from 10 am to 5 pm on the first Saturday of each month. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for students, and free for members and children 12 and under, and includes access to special exhibitions. For more information, visit www.NasherSculptureCenter.org.