The Center for Great Neighborhoods (CGN) and the City of Covington are the recipients of a $100,000 Our Town grant from the National Endowment of the Arts for our Eastern Arts and Creative Enterprise (ACE) Project.
Old St. Elizabeth Hospital-North
This is one of 51 grants nationwide that the NEA has approved in this category to support projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and social outcomes, ultimately laying the groundwork for systems change and centering equity.
The Eastern Arts and Creative Enterprise Project
CGN and the City are partnering to reimagine and activate the exterior of the old St. Elizabeth Hospital, located on E. 20th Street.
CGN will hire local artists to work alongside residents & businesses to reimagine future uses for the mostly vacant, historic hospital.
This will be done through events, block parties, markets, and temporary art installations outside of the buildings. CGN and the City believe the property is a physical asset that can act as a catalyst for social & economic change.
The building is part of Covington’s Eastern Neighborhoods where it is the largest commercial building in Covington’s most underserved community and sits primarily vacant. We believe that activation of the exterior of the building and subsequent activities and community engagements will generate momentum enabling the community, CGN, the City and additional partners to drive forward improvement and reuse of the property.
Photo by Trippybeth at Reflections Upon My Reality blog
“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts and cultural organizations throughout the nation with these grants, including The Center for Great Neighborhoods, providing opportunities for all of us to live artful lives,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “The arts contribute to our individual well-being, the well-being of our communities, and to our local economies. The arts are also crucial to helping us make sense of our circumstances from different perspectives as we emerge from the pandemic and plan for a shared new normal informed by our examined experience.”
“The essence of our mission is to help a community create their story, honor their history, and live out their values and vision,“ said Shannon Ratterman, Strategic Initiatives Director for CGN. “The activities that will happen as a result of this grant underscore our commitment to being an active partner with the City of Covington. Together we will seek out opportunities and future uses for this historic community asset as a critical component of our revitalization work in the Eastern Neighborhoods. We are honored and grateful to the NEA for selecting Covington to be part of an elite group of Our Town Grant recipients.”
Center for Great Neighborhoods
