Forty high-quality reproductions of great American art have been awarded to Stony Brook Elementary and Hopewell Elementary to enhance the study of American history, social studies, language arts, literature, and civics.

The awards were made through Picturing America, a project of the National Endowment for the Humanities in cooperation with the American Library Association. The project furnishes schools and public libraries with free, high-quality reproductions of important American art to help in the instruction of American history and culture.

"We are so pleased to receive Picturing America," said Stony Brook art teacher Kathleen Belton, who applied for the artworks. "This program will enrich classroom learning by offering our students immediate access to some of the nation's most important art."

"We are thrilled to have received this wonderful collection," added Lynn Butkus, media specialist at Hopewell Elementary. "Sharing these prints with all our teachers will help enhance our students' appreciation of many aspects of American art."

Awardees receive 40 color reproductions of selected masterpieces, measuring 24 inches by 36 inches, as well as a comprehensive teacher resource book providing a wide range of ideas for using the artworks in core subject areas.

Across the country, more than 26,000 schools and public libraries, including 567 in New Jersey, have been awarded the artworks.

The NEH is an independent, grant-making agency dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities.