Ann Savoy and the Magnolia Sister perform in an intimate performance outside in Eunice, Louisiana. (photo by Denise Kang/courtesy of Craft in America)

The National Endowment for the Arts Chair Mary Anne Carter approved more than $84 million in grants as part of the Arts Endowment’s second major funding for art organizations in its 2020 fiscal year.

Craft in America was awarded an Art Works award to support post-production of the award-winning Craft in America documentary series, now in its 13th  year on PBS.

The Art Works category is the NEA’s largest funding category and supports projects that focus on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and lifelong learning in the arts and the empowerment of communities through art.

The organization received one of 1,015 grants the agency approved in this category.

“These awards demonstrate the resilience of the arts in America, showcasing not only the creativity of their arts projects but the organizations’ ability in the face of a national health crisis,” Carter said. “We celebrate organizations like Craft in America for providing opportunities for learning and engagement through the arts in these times.”

The newest episode of the museum’s PBS series “Craft in America: Harmony” is in production and will air in 2021. “Harmony,” a music episode, follows a team from Craft in America as they travel to Eunice, Louisiana – the heart of Cajun country – to film Mark Savoy, musician and renowned Acadian accordion marker, and his wife Ann, a member of the all-women Cajun band the Magnolia Sisters.

The Savoy family have become musical stewards of Cajun culture. In addition, the episode will premiere a violin concerto created by Aram Demirjian, music director of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.

Demirjian was inspired by artist Richard Jolley’s monumental glass and steel installation, at the Knoxville Art Museum, entitled “Cycle of Life, Within the Power of Dreams and the Wonder of Infinity.

“Craft in America feels a sense of gratitude and a strong bond with the National Endowment for the Arts,” said Carol Sauvion, executive producer and director of Craft in America. “The NEA grant, used for post production, will allow the ‘Harmony’ episode of our series to be completed and the valuable message of craft to be broadcast nationwide on PBS.

For information, visit arts.gov/news.