Billy Klüver and Robert Rauschenberg working in Rauschenberg's studio in late 1964 or early 1965. (Rauschenberg Foundation)

The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation announced today the inaugural recipients of its Artistic Innovation and Collaboration grant program, awarding a total of $800,000 to nine organizations. The winners, picked from 65 applicants, will receive funding ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 to fund the creation of new programs. Those institutions are:

Ballroom Marfa, Marfa, TX
Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, NE
The Drawing Center, New York, NY
Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), Los Angeles, CA
Machine Project, Los Angeles, CA
Mary Miss/City as Living Laboratory, New York, NY
North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, ND
Space One Eleven, Birmingham, AL
STREB, Brooklyn, NY

Said Rauschenberg Foundation director Christy MacLear in a statement: "This grant program is rooted in the defining characteristics of Bob’s legacy–-fearlessness, innovative practice, cross-disciplinary exploration and collaboration among artists–-and supports new work in a time when funding artistic experimentation is receding."