SIERRA VISTA — As National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman has noted, “Art works everywhere,” which is why the NEA’s Challenge America Fast-Track program supports projects from small and mid-sized arts organizations that extend the reach of the arts to underserved audiences — those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics or disability. This year, the Cochise Community Creative Writing Celebration was selected to receive one of the 162 grants of $10,000 awarded to organizations across the nation.

The Cochise Community Creative Writing Celebration began in 1998 as an annual two-day literary conference and reading experience for students and community residents. The CWC brings together published writers from the genres of poetry, novels, creative nonfiction, juvenile fiction and screenwriting to engage the public with literary arts professionals. Attendees experience one-on-one direct topical learning from professional artist leaders, hands-on literary workshops, public readings and a contest with cash prizes for writing excellence.

This writers’ conference encourages literary interest and strengthens writing skills of aspiring authors in the rural border communities of the 7,500 square mile area that Cochise College serves.

“Taken together, these Challenge America Fast-Track grants provide an extraordinary sampling of the work that arts organizations do to reach underserved communities,” said Landesman. “With these grants, we are helping to ensure that art works for all Americans.”

The 14th annual Creative Writing Celebration is set for March 30-31 at Cochise College’s Sierra Vista Campus, Douglas Campus and the City of Sierra Vista’s Ethel Berger Center. It is co-sponsored by University South Foundation, Inc., Cochise College, Cochise College Foundation’s Diane E. Freund Memorial Writing Celebration Fund, and the City of Sierra Vista Leisure and Library Services.

The cost is $40 for the two-day event, or just $25 for seniors and students. Participants may register in advance and enter the writing contest by calling 417-4112, 515-5468 or emailing creativewriting@cochise.edu and asking to be added to the brochure mailing list. They may also register at the door, without entering the contest, on March 30 or 31.

Leslie Clark, Cochise College English instructor and a published poet committed to extending a platform of opportunities for creative talents, views the celebration as “an educational program to give aspiring community writers the opportunity to hear the nuts and bolts of the writing business from the professionals.”

This year’s keynote speaker and fiction presenter is Denise Chavez, a novelist, playwright, teacher and performance writer based in Las Cruces and Mesilla, New Mexico. She is the founder of the Border Book Festival, New Mexico’s longest running book festival.

Cynthia Hogue the poetry presenter, has published seven collections of poetry, most recently “Or Consequence” and “When the Water Came: Evacuees of Hurricane Katrina,” both in 2010. Beth Alvarado will present on creative nonfiction. She teaches at the University of Arizona and is the fiction editor for Cutthroat: A Journal of the Arts.

Children’s writing presenter Marge Pellegrino is an award-winning author and teaching artist. Her book “Journey of Dreams” won the Judy Goddard Award for young adult literature and is honored on nine lists, including Smithsonian Notable Books, Southwest Books of the Year 2009 and Americas Award Commended List 2010.

March 30 events will be held at the Ethel Berger Center, except Chavez’s evening reading, which will be at the Cochise College Douglas Campus Little Theatre. March 31 events will be held at the Cochise College Sierra Vista Campus.

The NEA program is called Fast-Track because of its expedited review timeline. Cochise was notified approximately six months after applying. Also, with 375 eligible applications submitted from across the country, there was significant competition for funding for these grants. This grant award is evidence of the artistic excellence and merit of the Creative Writing Celebration.

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at www.arts.gov.