WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Camden Film Festival will receive a portion of a $190,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).  The grant money will be distributed among eight organizations in Maine that foster artistic creativity and innovation in their communities.

These grants will support a wide range of artistic endeavors including film and folk festivals, stage productions, painting and sculpture classes, and a poetry press, among others, according to a news release.

"Maine is fortunate to have many excellent organizations and individuals committed to developing and maintaining the arts," said Senators Collins and Angus King in a joint statement. "These NEA grants will help magnify that creative spirit and strengthen the fabric of Maine's communities in the process."

The grants are part of a larger $29 million announcement from the NEA that will support arts projects nationwide. A total of 1,118 grants are being awarded from a pool of 3,455 applications. The awards are divided into three categories: Art Works, Challenge America, and NEA Literature Fellowships in Creative Writing.

The NEA was established by Congress in 1965, and has since awarded more than $5 billion to organizations and individuals supporting the arts in their communities.

Many of the Maine awardees have previously received grants from the NEA. The full list of Maine awardees is below:

Camden International Film Festival, $20,000

Maine Fiberarts, $10,000

Portland Stage Company, $10,000

Maine Film Center, $10,000

Alice James Poetry Cooperative, Inc., $25,000

Bangor Folk Festival, $20,000

President and Trustees of Bates College, two separate awards of $30,000

Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Inc., $35,000

For more information on the NEA, go to arts.gov.