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September Issue 2004
North Carolina Arts Council Awards Grants for Arts Programs and Projects in Davidson, Davie, and Rowan Counties in NC
The North Carolina Arts Council will invest $65,953 in grants for arts programs and projects in Davidson, Davie, and Rowan Counties in NC, during 2004-2005. Last year across the state, more than 9 1/2 million people participated in Arts Council-funded projects ranging from dance classes for children to exhibitions at the stateís major museums to art projects at senior centers.
Across North Carolina, 384 grants went to 290 organizations for a total of $4,032,556. A large number of those grants are made through the Grassroots Arts Program. Grassroots funds are provided to arts councils and other local organizations, which in turn program and fund the arts in their communities. In FY 02-03, the most recent year of full reported data, 667 Grassroots grants were funded.
"A recent study from Appalachian State University, Just the Ticket, reports that non-profit arts groups in our state generate a powerful economic impact of $723 million and nearly 7,000 full-time jobs," said Mary B. Regan, executive director of the North Carolina Arts Council. "What's more, the arts engage our citizens, make our communities vibrant, and showcase the independent expression that typifies a free society. We are grateful to the members of the General Assembly for their continued support of North Carolinaís creative industry."
Through its work, the North Carolina Arts Council assists non-profit arts groups and other organizations in both rural and urban areas of the state that are using the arts to build their communities. Arts Council programs help underscore important public values of the arts to our citizens. Some examples: Arts in education programs are essential to the personal and intellectual growth of our children, creating the educated, creative, and productive workforce of tomorrow.
Public art and community design programs make attractive and distinctive spaces and help make North Carolina communities vibrant. Program support for the state's major professional music, dance, theater, visual arts and literary organizations, ensures affordable, accessible arts experiences, as well as helping to fuel North Carolina's $723 million economic arts engine.
Folklife programs document and recognize our unique cultural legacy. Cultural tourism programs then work to showcase that legacy for visitors to North Carolina.
To be eligible for Arts Council grants, organizations must produce quality arts programs that provide community benefit. Grants require that matching funds be raised by the applicant organization. Last year, each $1 invested by the NC Arts Council was matched by $24 other dollars.
The following Davidson, Davie, and Rowan Counties organizations received grant awards:
Arts United for Davidson Various arts programs and subgrants - $19,317
Davie County Arts Council Various arts programs and subgrants - $6,244
Downtown Salisbury Two-day charette for the creation of a public art plan - $4,000
Rowan Arts Council Various arts programs and subgrants - $17,392
Salisbury-Rowan Symphony 2004-05 season -$10,000
Waterworks Visual Arts General operating support - $9,000
The mission of the NC Arts Council, a division of the NC Department of Cultural Resources, is to enrich the cultural life of the state. The Arts Council serves as an economic and cultural catalyst throughout the state as it invests in local communities and offers technical assistance to artists and organizations. The majority of Arts Council funding comes from the NC General Assembly. Partial funding for the Arts Council also comes from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency in Washington, DC.
A complete listing of grants to each county is available on-line at (www.ncarts.org). For more information, e-mail (ncarts@ncmail.net). To learn more about the NC Arts Council and its programs, visit its Web site, or contact communications manager Joe Newberry at 919/733-2119.
Carolina Arts is published monthly by Shoestring Publishing Company, a subsidiary of PSMG, Inc. Copyright© 2004 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts from Jan. 1995 - Dec. 1996. It also publishes Carolina Arts Online, Copyright© 2004 by PSMG, Inc. All rights reserved by PSMG, Inc. or by the authors of articles. Reproduction or use without written permission is strictly prohibited. Carolina Arts is available throughout North & South Carolina.