Chenango Arts Council announces 2015 DEC grants
CHENANGO COUNTY – The Chenango Arts Council has announced $109,400 in grants to artists and arts organizations throughout the area as part of the 2015 Broome, Chenango and Otsego Decentralization (DEC) grant program.
The DEC program is a state funded program providing artists and various organizations monetary help for community-minded projects. In addition to the $99,400 received from the New York State Council on the Arts for projects in Broome, Otsego and Chenango counties, another $10,000 was contributed by the Stewart W. and Willma C. Hoyt Foundation for arts projects specifically in Broome County.
For 37 years, the New York State Council on the Arts has administered the DEC program to promote development of cultural resources in all 62 counties in the state. The Chenango Arts Council is one of 29 DEC locations, allocating minimum grant amounts of $500 and maximum amounts of $5,000.
“The most important thing about this fund is that we spread the money over a wide geographic region in each county in the most impoverished pockets to bring arts where they might not be otherwise,” said Michelle Connelly, Program and Development Director for the Chenango Arts Council. “Some of these applicants depend on DEC grants for major projects to happen, especially small groups that don’t have a lot of funding avenues for arts related projects.”
The Chenango Arts Council received more than $200,000 in funding requests from artists and organizations this year. However, with only half that amount disbursed by the state for allocation, applications in both community and arts education projects are competitive, Connelly explained. Grant applications are peer reviewed and decided by a pannel that’s comprised of delegates from all three counties.
“Some of our criteria is based on artistic merit, meaning what the quality of the project is,” Connelly said. “Another main factor is the general community or student benefit that will be served by the project. That’s really the big one because it is taxpayer money and the objective is that projects benefit the general public.”
Many organizations use publically funded DEC grants to leverage private grants, she added.
More than 20 organizations in Chenango County received DEC grant funding this year. Grants support small projects as well as those on a larger scale, like the Chenango Blues Association’s summertime Blues Fest or the Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival.
In April, state legislators set aside an additional $5 million for the New York State Council on the Arts DEC program as part of the 2015-2016 budget. Connelly said hopes are that money will result in a bump in funds for the Chenango, Broome and Otsego DEC programs in 2016.
For more information on the DEC program or the grant recipients, their projects and contact information, visit the Chenango Arts Council’s website, chenangoarts.org, or call 336-ARTS (2787).
The DEC program is a state funded program providing artists and various organizations monetary help for community-minded projects. In addition to the $99,400 received from the New York State Council on the Arts for projects in Broome, Otsego and Chenango counties, another $10,000 was contributed by the Stewart W. and Willma C. Hoyt Foundation for arts projects specifically in Broome County.
For 37 years, the New York State Council on the Arts has administered the DEC program to promote development of cultural resources in all 62 counties in the state. The Chenango Arts Council is one of 29 DEC locations, allocating minimum grant amounts of $500 and maximum amounts of $5,000.
“The most important thing about this fund is that we spread the money over a wide geographic region in each county in the most impoverished pockets to bring arts where they might not be otherwise,” said Michelle Connelly, Program and Development Director for the Chenango Arts Council. “Some of these applicants depend on DEC grants for major projects to happen, especially small groups that don’t have a lot of funding avenues for arts related projects.”
The Chenango Arts Council received more than $200,000 in funding requests from artists and organizations this year. However, with only half that amount disbursed by the state for allocation, applications in both community and arts education projects are competitive, Connelly explained. Grant applications are peer reviewed and decided by a pannel that’s comprised of delegates from all three counties.
“Some of our criteria is based on artistic merit, meaning what the quality of the project is,” Connelly said. “Another main factor is the general community or student benefit that will be served by the project. That’s really the big one because it is taxpayer money and the objective is that projects benefit the general public.”
Many organizations use publically funded DEC grants to leverage private grants, she added.
More than 20 organizations in Chenango County received DEC grant funding this year. Grants support small projects as well as those on a larger scale, like the Chenango Blues Association’s summertime Blues Fest or the Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival.
In April, state legislators set aside an additional $5 million for the New York State Council on the Arts DEC program as part of the 2015-2016 budget. Connelly said hopes are that money will result in a bump in funds for the Chenango, Broome and Otsego DEC programs in 2016.
For more information on the DEC program or the grant recipients, their projects and contact information, visit the Chenango Arts Council’s website, chenangoarts.org, or call 336-ARTS (2787).
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