Congressman Henry Cuellar announced today a $10,000 matching grant for the Teatro de Artes de Juan Seguin awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Teatro de Artes will use the grant to support the presentation of the Viva Seguin Conjunto Festival, Noche de Gala and Taller Folklórico de Primavera. The teatro produces cultural programming that connects area audiences with Mexican-American traditions in instrumental and vocal music, and dance.

“Keeping our Mexican heritage alive is very important and one of the best venues to do so is by enriching our communities with Mexico’s music and dance,” said Congressman Cuellar. “I would like to congratulate the Teatro de Artes de San Juan Seguin for working hard to obtain this grant and thank them for the magnificent job they do in keeping our traditions alive.”

This is the fourth consecutive year, in Fiscal Year 2008, that the Arts Endowment awards at least one direct grant in all 435 congressional districts.  The direct grants are in addition to grants and educational materials the Arts Endowment provides to large and small communities through its National Initiatives.