The National Endowment for the Arts Scores an Emmy Nomination

See clips from the NEA's "United States of Art."

Graphic. Courtesy of YouTube.

The independent, federally-funded agency known as the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is up for a Primetime Emmy Award in a brand new category called “Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series,” and they seem pretty excited about it (as evidenced by this tweet):

The NEA turned 50 last year, and marked its golden anniversary with an ambitious digital story series called “United States of Arts.” Replete with mini documentaries that illustrate select milestones, a host of downloadable facts and statistics sheets, and even an interactive timeline that delineates the organization’s history since its inception in 1965, the project is, more or less, a glorified (and well-deserved) self-promotional extravaganza.

As curious as this may seem (and there have been plenty of curious previous Emmy winners), the NEA’s nomination isn’t exactly a surprise—especially in light of recent honors. In June, for instance, the agency scooped up a special Tony Award for its “unwavering commitment in paving the road between Broadway and cities throughout the US,” a task that chairwoman Jane Chu has clearly taken to heart since claiming the helm in 2014.

It would warm our hearts to see the humble NEA prevail over its glossier competitors. The other nominees in the category count NBC’s Jay Leno’s Garage; Time’s A Year in Space; History’s A New Vision; and FX’s Inside Look: The People vs. OJ Simpson (a behind-the-scenes look at the mini-series, which is nominated for 22 Emmys overall, and so couldn’t possibly need this one).

Will the NEA take home the top honor? Find out on September 18. In the meantime, enjoy the clip about the arts of New York state, above, or check out stories from all 50 states, on the “United States of Art” website.


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