The Genesee Orleans Regional Arts Council, GO Art!, handed out $107,000 in grants to about three dozen arts organizations and artists on Thursday.
These "re-grants" are state-sponsored and in a program designed by the Legislature to promote the arts in every region in the state. All 62 counties in the state have organizations that are in charge of ensuring the grants are distributed to worthwhile local arts projects.
"The goal is to make state arts support available to geographically, economically, and ethnically diverse segments of the state’s population.," said Mary Jo Whitman, program chair.
The grants are available through four programs: Reach, Ripple, Spark, and the Restart NY Regrant Program.
Here is an explanation of the programs and a list of the recipients:
Reach :
The GO ART! Community Arts Grants (Reach Grants) provide seed grants to individual artists, collectives and arts organizations for projects and activities that enable Genesee and Orleans County communities to experience and engage with the performing, literary, media, and visual arts. Each year the program supports over arts projects, including concerts, performances, public art, exhibitions, screenings, festivals, workshops, readings, and more.
- Orleans County YMCA – YMCA Visual Community Culture - $4,500
- Village of Albion - Concerts on the Canal - $2,410
- Lyndonville Lions Club – I Hear the Music - $5,000
- Cobble Stone Museum – The Cobblestone Museum Arts Series for 2022 - $5,000
- Village of Holley- Concerts in Canal Park - $220
- Yates Community Library – More than just books - $4,950
- Village of Medina – Painting of Murals - $3,460
- Eric Weatherbee – the Humble Bard Presents - $2,500
- Gilliam Grant Community Center – Collage of Art - $4,450
- Bergen Historical Society – Silent Film Series - $3,000
- The Elba Betterment Community – EBC Presents Art around Town - $2,350
- Holland Purchase Historical Society – Holland Land Office Museum Guest Speaker and Concert Series -$3,250
- Genesee Symphony Orchestra – The Genesee Symphony Orchestra’s 76th Season - $5,000
- Batavia Central School District Foundation – Pop Up Art Show - $1,685
- Byron Bergen Public Library – Art and Music in Our Community – Enriching Lives Through the Arts - $4,459
- Batavia Players – 2022 Theatre Season - $5,000
- Genesee Chorale – Genesee Choral 2022 Season - $5,000
- Batavia Concert Band – 2022 Summer Concert Series - $5,000
- Hollwedel Memorial Library – Shake on the Lake presents MacBeth - $5,000
- Batavia Community Garden – Community Garden in Bloom
- Oakfield Betterment Community – Labor Daze - $5,000
- Genesee County Chamber of Commerce – Genesee County Mural Trail - $4,500
- Woodward Memorial Library – Art on the Go - $1,286
- Haxton Memorial Library – Talented Thursdays - $5,000
Ripple :
The GO ART! Individual Artist Commission (RIPPLE Grant) supports local, artist-initiated activities, and highlights the role of artists as important members of the community. The Commission is for artistic projects with outstanding artistic merit that work within a community setting.
- Eric Weatherbee – The Humble Bard Magazine - $2,500
- Mandy Humphrey – Beacon Street Mural - $2,000
- Bart Dentino – Concert in the Classroom: Can you see what you hear? - $2,500
Spark :
The Arts Education Program (Spark Grant) supports arts education projects for youth and/or senior learners. Emphasis is placed on the depth and quality of the creative process through which participants learn through or about the arts. Projects must focus on the exploration of art and the artistic process.
- Judd Sunshine – Erie Canal Songwriting Project - $3,300
- Bart Denton – The spaces Between the Leaves - $2,500
The Restart NY Regrant Program (grant cycle July 1, 2021, and June 31, 2022) $35,000 in grants.
The Restart NY Regrant Program was developed as part of an initiative to spur the revitalization of New York's creative economy. The program was administered through a network of local and regional organizations through a transparent peer panel funding process and was available to artists and organizations in each of the state's 62 counties. Organizations or individuals with a fiscal agent that met NYSCA and GO ART! criteria could request regrant funds.Through the Restart NY Regrant Program, GO ART!, NYSCA and the New York State Legislature hoped to provide immediate support to promote arts experiences and fuel the reopening and recovery of performance organizations and groups. Grants opportunities were prioritized for organizations and artists planning live performing arts projects, those planning projects and events that are open to and engage public participation and audiences in Genesee and/or Orleans counties, were encouraged and eligible to apply for funding.
Grantees:
- Oakfield Betterment Committee
- Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden
- GLOW Out!
- Gilliam-Grant Center
- Batavia Concert Band
- St Mark’s Episcopal Church
- The Landmark Society of Genesee County
Top Photo: Ryan Duffy, director of the Holland Land Office Museum, makes a brief statement after receiving a grant on behalf of HLOM while City Council President Eugene Jankowski and Mary Jo Whitman look on.
Photos by Howard Owens.
Mary Jo Whitman
GO Art! Board President Stuart McLean
Tom Tiefel, Bergen Town Historian.
Pauli Miano, with Kelly Dudley, of the Elba Betterment Committee, accepts a grant on behalf of their organization.
