Arts commission announces almost $30,000 in local grants

Statewide budget cuts haven’t eliminated support for the arts in Orange County.

The Orange County Arts Commission announced Thursday that 19 county arts organizations received grants to pursue artistic endeavors.

The commission gave $29,891 in its spring 2011 cycle. The money came from the N.C. Arts Council Grassroots Arts Program, which faced 15 percent funding cuts this fiscal year.

These grants constitute the spring 2011 grant cycle. The commission accepts applications in the spring and fall. Applications submitted in the spring are chosen and awarded the following fall.

Martha Shannon, director of the arts commission, said applications for the grants were stronger and more competitive than when the Grassroots Arts Program first started in 1977.

But this spring’s recipients were not hard to select, she said.

“The overriding criteria is artistic merit in the project and benefits to the citizens of Orange County,” Shannon said. “It’s not difficult to determine who is stronger.”

In their applications, organizations focused on how their projects would help the county’s residents.

The Preservation Society of Chapel Hill received $780 for administrative support and 11 installations at the Horace Williams House gallery.

The Carrboro Arts?Center received two $1,500 grants. One went to the School Show Series, which provides schoolchildren of both Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools opportunities to see artists at their schools and at the Arts?Center.

Brooke Kesterson, school and family performances coordinator for the center, said the money would go toward paying artist fees — usually the program’s largest expenditure.

“We’ll bring in these artists that these schools could never afford,” she said. “We can guarantee a reduced rate by providing (the artists) a greater amount of work.”

The other $1,500 will support teaching fees associated with six residencies sponsored by the Arts?Center at Central Elementary School in Hillsborough, Shannon said.

FRANK, an artist-owned gallery on Franklin Street, received $1,500 to plan and market its workshop series to increase community involvement.

Gallery director Barbara Rich said that the grant will help with the costs of the gallery’s weekly workshops and presentations.

The gallery’s workshops already have a core of regular attendees, Rich said.

“I think they want to be a part of this ongoing participation in the art community,” she said. “We are very grateful to be in the community’s eye and that these organizations think that our work is important and are willing to support us.”

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