National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $30 million in grants as part of the NEA's first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2017. Included in this announcement is an Art Works grant of $20,000 to Historic Milwaukee, Inc. for Doors Open 2017. The Art Works category focuses on 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.

"The arts are for all of us, and by supporting organizations such as Historic Milwaukee, the National Endowment for the Arts is providing more opportunities for the public to engage with the arts," said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. "Whether in a theater, a town square, a museum or a hospital, the arts are everywhere and make our lives richer."

"As we approach our seventh annual Doors Open event, Historic Milwaukee is excited to expand our open house event using funding from the NEA," said Historic Milwaukee Board Chair Dan Sweeney. "Each year, thousands of visitors have explored hundreds of Milwaukee buildings and neighborhoods during Doors Open, deepening the community's understanding of our history and the importance of our shared future."

Doors Open Milwaukee is a two-day public celebration of Milwaukee's art, architecture and history. The event offers behind the scenes tours of more than 160 buildings throughout Milwaukee's Downtown and diverse neighborhoods. Doors Open also includes dozens of in-depth tours featuring prominent local artists, historians and community leaders. The program is largely free, making this a uniquely inclusive event, accessible to families, seniors and anyone on a fixed or low-income.

The sixth annual Doors Open Milwaukee took place during the weekend of Sept. 17 and 18, 2016. In two days, more than 31,600 attendees made 138,681 site visits to unique places throughout Milwaukee.

As part of the grant, Historic Milwaukee must raise a matching $20,000 of support from individuals, corporations and foundations.

For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.