NORWICH – The Chenango County Council of the Arts awarded $55,000 in cultural funding to 38 non-profit organizations through the Broome & Chenango Decentralization (DEC) Grant Program in a March 5 ceremony. Two grants of $2,250 were given through the Individual Artist (IA) Grant Program. Both Programs are decentralized programs of the New York State Council on the Arts.

In addition to this funding, a presentation of the Russell J. Perlman Award of Excellence was made to the Monday Evening Music Club for proposing the “Most Outstanding Project” in Chenango County for 2009.

The Broome & Chenango DEC and IA Programs serve as a catalyst for local cultural development exposing children, adults and seniors to events that entertain, educate and enrich their lives. Funding provided through these programs 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 and IA Programs operate annually and panel nominations are accepted on a rolling basis. For additional information, call the Arts Council office at 336-2787 or visit our website at www.chenangoarts.org.

Congratulations to the following 2009 grant recipients:

Binghamton Community Orchestra

Project: “Water, Wonderful Water” children’s concerts

April 25, 1:30 and 3:30 p.m., BC Public Library/Sun. April 26, 3:30 p.m., Bainbridge-Guilford HS

Binghamton Downtown Singers

Project: Spring Concert 2009

June 6, Sarah Jan Johnson United Methodist Church, Johnson City

Binghamton Theater Organ Society

Project: Theater Organ Concert with Silent Movie by Organist Steven Ball

March 28, 7:30 p.m., The Forum, Bing.

Binghamton Youth Symphony

Project: Annual Winter Concert

Sun., Jan. 18, 3 p.m., West MS Auditorium, Bing.

Center For Gender, Art & Culture

Project: Poetry/Photography Workshops and The Southern Tier: A Photo-Poetic History

June 8- July 31, Coop. Gallery 213, Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts Gallery, Vestal Library

City of Binghamton

Project: Brown Bag Music Series

June 12- Aug. 28, Farmer’s Market, Collier St., Binghamton

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County

Project: The Shakespearean Trail & Kick-off Event

Aug. 1, Cutler Botanic Garden at Cornell CCE

Endicott Performing Arts Center, Inc.

Project: “La Devina Avventura –II Fantastico Viaggio di Dante” or “The Divine Comedy – The Fantastic Voyage of Dante”

June 5-7, EPAC Theater

Endwell Community Chorus

Project: Concert Series

May 16, June 30, December 14, 2009- Northminster Presbyterian Church, Endwell, Highland Park, Endwell, Oakdale Mall, Johnson City

Fine Arts Society of the Southern Tier (FASST)

Project: Touchable Art!

First Friday, Nov. 6, Nov. 7, ARVE, Court St., Bing.

The Madrigal Choir of Binghamton

Project: “Celebrate Music”

May 9, Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church, 44 Main St., Bing.

Phelps Mansion Museum

Project: Second Sunday at the Phelps

March 8, May 10, June 14, Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 8, Phelps Mansion, Bing.

Southern Tier Chapter of the NYS Old Time Fiddlers Assn.

Project: Fiddlin’s Fun Festival 2009

June 13, Roberson Museum and Science Center, Bing.

Greater Whitney Point Community Planning Committee Corporation

Project: 6th Annual Fall Festival

October 23 & 24, Whitney Point

Village of Windsor

Project: “Window on the Arts” Music and Arts Festival

Sept. 26, Windsor Village Green

Afton Community Theater

Project: Oklahoma!

April 24, 25, 26, Afton Central School

Afton Historical Society

Project: “A Summer Afternoon Jazz Concert”

August 15, pavilion next Afton Museum

Afton Village

Project: Winter Carnival Ice Sculpting

Dec. 5, Main Street, Afton

Chenango County Agricultural Society, Inc.

Project: Bluegrass Festival at the Fairgrounds

July 23-26, CC Fairgrounds, 168 E. Main St., Norwich

Chenango County Blues Association

Project: Chenango Blues Association Summer Music Series

Park Concerts: 7/16, 23, 30, 8/6, 8/11, Festival 8/21, 22, West Side Park, CC Fair Grounds

The Christian Neighborhood Center of Norwich, Inc.

Project: Advantage After School Arts Program

Jan-June, June-Sept. The Place

City of Norwich

Project: Norwich City Band Concerts in the Park/Music in the Park Lunchtime Concert

July- Aug. 2008, Downtown Norwich- East Park

Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival, Inc.

Project: The 15th Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival

Sept. 12 & 13, Downtown Norwich- East and West Parks

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County

Project: Youth Theater Experience

Feb. 16, 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

October 11, 2 p.m.

McDonough Improvement Committee

Project: McDonough Summer Music/Theater Programs

April 25 (Poppy Town Puppets), June 19 (Route 66 Band) July 14 (Red Raville), McDonough Community Center

Mid-York Concert Band

Project: MYCB, Mid-York Shining Brass Band Concert Series

June 13/Nov. 10, UCC Church Sherburne/Oxford Academy School

Monday Evening Musical Club

Project: Centennial Celebration

October 4, UCC, Norwich

Moore Memorial Library

Project: “Be Creative @ the Library—Travel though Time with Music”

July 1- July 31, Moore Memorial Library, Greene

New Berlin Art Forum

Project: Performing Arts Programs

3/14- Glenravel & the Claddagh Ring Irish Dancers- UVCS, 5/7- Sylvia Markson & the Magic Trunk UVCS, 11/15 Singing Boys of Pennsylvania-St. Andrew’s Church

Otselic Valley Improvement & Preservation Assn.

Project: “Arts in the Valley II”

5/25, 7/11, 7/19, 7/30, 8/16, 8/27, Otselic Park, So. Otselic American Legion

Oxford Community Christian Youth Center

Project: A Family Celebration with Tom Chapin & Friends in Concert

Friday, Nov, 20, Oxford Academy CS

6 On the Square

Project: Concert in the Park with The Joe Crookston Band

July 11, Lafayette Park, Oxford

Sherburne Music-Theater Society

Project: Handel’s Messiah

December SE High School

Sherburne Public Library

Project: “Three Good Reasons to be in Sherburne”

Storm Hammond- 2 series of visual arts workshops, Aug. 4, 7:30 p.m. Linda Richards-Roger’s Nature Center

Smyrna Citizen’s Band

Project: Summer Concert Series

July 6-Aug. 10, Mondays- 7:30 p.m., Downtown Smyrna

Town of Columbus

Project: “Explore Columbus through Cultural Magic”

June 13- Suzanne Bloom, July 25- Bonnie Gale, Aug. 9- Catskill Puppet Theater, Oct. 19 - Loomis Gang, Songs of America, Norton Park, Bell Road, Columbus

Individual Artists:

Through the IA Program, artists apply for financial support for new work through an artist initiated and led project that engages the community. The purpose of this individual artist tier is to provide self-sustaining opportunities to support the development of the artist’s career, while at the same time promoting the value of artists and the arts profession to the community. Coinciding with this is a need to create a foundation for community interaction as a part of the creative process.

Congratulations to:

• John Brunelli of Binghamton for Poetry/Photography Workshops and The Southern Tier: A Photo-Poetic History project.

• Tom Rasely of McDonough for “One Song: Amazing Grace” project.