NORWICH – The Chenango County Council of the Arts is pleased to announce the allocation of $58,000 in cultural funding to 29 non-profit organizations through the Broome & Chenango Decentralization (DEC) Grant Program, a decentralized program of the New York State Council on the Arts. In addition to this funding, a presentation of the Russell J. Perlman Award of Excellence will be made to the Otselic Valley Improvement and Preservation Association for proposing the “Most Outstanding Project” in Chenango County for 2008. An awards ceremony will take place at the Martin W. Kappel Theater, 27 West Main Street, Norwich, at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 6. The public is invited to attend.
The Broome & Chenango DEC Program serves as a catalyst for local cultural development exposing children, adults and seniors to events that entertain, educate and enrich their lives. Continuous increased funding provided through this program has helped to strengthen our communities by reaching the most rural of our townships and villages, providing increased access to a greater quality of life for residents. The DEC Program operates annually and panel nominations are accepted on a rolling basis. For additional information, please call the Arts Council office at 336-2787/ARTS or visit our website at www.chenangoarts.org.
Congratulations to the following 2008 grant recipients:

Binghamton Youth Symphony
Project: Introduction to the Orchestra Concert
March 11th -9:30am/11am, Anderson Center, Osterhout Concert Theater, BU

Broome County Public Library
Project: Come Together and Tell Your Stories
April 14-17, 2008

Center For Gender, Art & Culture
Project: Workshop Series- Our Voices
Jan.- Dec. 08- 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month

City of Binghamton
Project: Brown Bag Music Series
Fridays, June 13- Aug. 29, Farmer’s Market, Collier St., Binghamton

Endicott Performing Arts Center, Inc.
Project: Rock Opera “Cuffed”
July 11-13, 18-20, EPAC Theater, Endicott

Endwell Community Chorus
Project: Concert Series
May 17, June 24, December 8, Northminster Presbyterian Church, Endwell, Highland Park, Endwell, Oakdale Mall, Johnson City

The Madrigal Choir of Binghamton
Project: “Out of Africa”
April 19, 2008, Binghamton HS, Helen Foley Theater

Phelps Mansion Museum
Project: Second Sunday at the Phelps
Feb. 10, Mar. 9, Ap. 13, Sept. 14, Oct. 12, Nov. 9, Phelps Mansion, Bing.

Southern Tier Chapter of the NYS Old Time Fiddlers Assn.
Project: Fiddlin’s Fun Festival
June 14, 2008, Roberson Museum and Science Center, Bing.

Vestal Museum
Project: “Through the Looking Glass”
May- Sept. 2008, Vestal Museum

Afton Historical Society
Project: “Sweet Summertime Jazz Concert”
August 23, 2008, pavilion next Afton Museum

Chenango County Agricultural Society, Inc.
Project: Norwich Family Bluegrass Festival/Bluegrass Concert in HS
July 24-27, 2008, CC Fairgrounds, 168 E. Main St., Norwich

Chenango County Blues Association
Project: Chenango Blues Association Summer Music Series
7/10 at 6 on the Square, Oxford, 7/17, 7/24, 7/31 at West Side Park, Norwich, 8/5 at CC Fair, 8/15 at YMCA Camp, Smyrna, Vet’s Home, Oxford, Guernsey Library, Norwich and CC Fairgrounds, 8/16 at CC Fairgrounds.

City of Norwich
Project: Norwich City Band Concerts in the Park
July- Aug. 2008, Downtown Norwich- East Park

Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival, Inc.
Project: The 14th Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival
Sept. 6 & 7, Downtown Norwich- East and West Parks

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County
Project: Youth Theater Experience
Feb. 18, 2008, Martin W. Kappel Theater, Norwich

Coventry Town Museum Association
Project: Coventry Civil War Veterans Commemorated in Music, Song, Story and Spirit, Coventry Methodist Church & Chapel, Coventry Union Cemetery and Burial Ground, Coventry Town Hall

Episcopal Church of the Epiphany
Project: Voices of the Tabernacle Singing “The Best of Broadway”
May 4, Dec. 6, Episcopal Church, Sherburne

Guernsey Memorial Library
Project: Tap Dancing Troubadours of Vaudeville/Reading is Magic: Mike Randall & Friends
July 14, 3:30pm/Aug. 15, 2pm, GML, Norwich

McDonough Improvement Committee
Project: McDonough Summer Music/Theater Programs
July 12/July 24, Town Park/McDonough Fire Station

Mid-York Concert Band
Project: MYCB, Mid-York Shining Brass Band Concert Series
June 14/December 6, UCC Sherburne/UCC, Norwich

Moore Memorial Library
Project: “Catch the Reading Bug”
July 1- July 31, 2008, Moore Memorial Library, Greene

New Berlin Art Forum
Project: Performing Arts Series
3/15- Sons of Ireland & Claddagh Ring Irish Dancers- UVCS, 4/12- Judy Goddard- Terrace Heights, NB, 5/8- Andrew J. Pinard- UVCS, 12/6- Hey, Nunnie, Nunnie!- UVCS

New Berlin Library
Project: “Autumn Artists”
Sept- Oct., 2008, NB Library

Otselic Valley Improvement & Preservation Assn.
Project: “Arts in the Valley”
5/3, 5/26, 6/14, 7/12, 7/13, 7/26, 8/9, 8/23- Otselic Park, So. Ot. Fire House, OVCS * VOTED MOST OUTSTANDING PROJECT FOR 2008 *

Sherburne Music-Theater Society
Project: “SMTS 40th Anniversary Retrospective and Review”
August 2008, SE Middle School

Sherburne Public Library
Project: New Traditions in Sherburne
July 12, 7pm- Roger’s Nature Ctr., Aug. 6- Sherburne Public Lib./Gains Park

6 On the Square
Project: Village of Oxford Bicentennial Musical Events
July 19, 20, 2006, Lafayette Park, Oxford

Smyrna Citizen’s Band
Project: Summer Concert Series
July 7-Aug. 11, Mondays- 7:30pm, Downtown Smyrna.