Rhode Island schools, organizations, community centers and artists were awarded $139,877 in the December 2014 round of grants from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. The Arts Council's board approved the awarding of these grants at its December meeting in Warren. These grants will go to support arts in education, community-based projects by organizations and individual artist fellowships and projects for the remainder of this fiscal year.
Statewide, 63 grants were awarded in response to 227 applications received at RISCA's October 1 deadline.
Governor Gina Raimondo applauded the recipients of these grants, saying, "My team is focused on creating opportunity for all Rhode Islanders through helping them build skills and foster innovation. These grants support the great work and ingenuity happening across our arts community and help us shine a spotlight on our arts economy and our cultural assets."
"We're particularly pleased with this round of grant awards," said Randall Rosenbaum, Executive Director of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. "Programs in arts education and projects that support the work of artists contribute to the economy and vitality of life in communities throughout our state."
This year to date the State Arts Council has awarded 276 grants totaling $1,445,487 to non-profit organizations, schools, artists and community groups. RISCA funds are matched by businesses, individuals, and earned income. The council receives its support through an annual appropriation from the Rhode Island General Assembly and from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Examples of projects supported in the current round of grants include:
A $1,750 grant to The Learning Community Charter School in Central Falls for a project for 5th graders with teaching artist Jess Regelson to create a tile mosaic mural based on Kate DiCamillo's book "The Tiger Rising" for the school and community.
A $3,600 grant to the Newport Schools to partner with the Island Moving Dance Company to develop a creative movement residency based on math concepts. The new curriculum will be piloted at the Pell School in winter 2015 with the 2nd grade, including teacher training with the dancers to integrate movement into math teaching.
A $2,500 grant to the Narragansett Bay Symphony Community Orchestra, based in East Providence, to support free concerts for the public.
A $3,000 grant to photographer Mary Beth Meehan to support her Providence Portrait installation. This portraiture project focuses on the residents of Providence and will result in a large-scale public installation of the images in the city's downtown. It is designed to enliven the downtown corridor, to bring a complex image of the city into the public sphere, and to spark public dialogue about the city and its people.
For a complete list of December grant recipients, as well as a list of all grants awarded by RISCA this year, go to the Arts Council's web site at www.arts.ri.gov/grants/recent
About the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts is a state agency, supported by appropriations from the Rhode Island General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. RISCA provides grants, technical assistance and staff support to arts organizations and artists, schools, community centers, social service organizations and local governments to bring the arts into the lives of Rhode Islanders.