Opera Pacific Delays Decision on NEA Grant

Opera Pacific officials put off a decision whether to protest a controversial anti-obscenity clause attached to an $18,000 grant awarded to the group by the National Endowment for the Arts. “We have not confirmed our response yet,” general director David DiChiera said through a spokeswoman on Friday.

The Art Institute of Southern California last week rejected a $15,000 NEA grant in protest of the anti-obscenity clause, making the Laguna Beach-based school the first Orange County organization to turn down NEA money.

In May, Opera Pacific announced that a decision would be made at a directors meeting Thursday. Board members postponed that decision, but one is expected within the next few days, the spokeswoman said.