For the second consecutive year, the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle has been rewarded for its artistic excellence.
The orchestra recently received an Arts and Audiences grant for $10,000 from the North Carolina Arts Council because of their plan to grow their followers.
“The Arts and Audiences grant is really intended for organizations to reach out and facilitate some new audience development,” said Rebecca Moore, the council’s senior program director for marketing.
She also said the panel that evaluates the grant proposals favors projects that will expand the Triangle’s arts scene.
“They want to know how the projects are going to connect to the community, and how they’re going to increase audiences,” she said.
The orchestra’s grant proposal showed an intent to expand their audience to the Triangle’s Latino population, said David Lindquist, chairman of the orchestra’s board of directors.
“We’re making a major effort, and we’ve secured the backing of a lot of the Latino organizations in the Triangle,” he said.
In addition to their plans for community outreach, applications for the Arts and Audiences grant are evaluated based on artistic merit.
Andrea Lawson, performing arts director for the N.C. Arts Council, also runs the panel that evaluates the grant proposals.
“We look for projects that will somehow give the audience a deeper experience or connection,” she said.
Lawson also said that the orchestra represents a high level of artistic talent.
