Wesleyan University's Center for the Arts Receives Arts Catalyze Placemaking Grant from Connecticut Office of the Arts
Receives Arts Catalyze Placemaking Grant from
Connecticut Office of the Arts
Grant part of announcement of 104 grants and $832,669 in funding statewide
Middletown, Conn.—The Department of Economic and Community Development Connecticut Office of the Arts has announced that they will award 104 grants to organizations and individuals across the state as part of their 2014 Arts Catalyze Placemaking Program. Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts is one of the 2014 Arts Catalyze Placemaking "Arts Leadership" grantees, and will receive $10,000 to support placemaking around two performances taking place on Friday, February 14, 2014— the New England premiere of the dance work "Times Bones" by San Francisco's Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, and the Connecticut debut concert by Vadym Kholodenko, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Gold Medalist —as well as the 15th annual DanceMasters Weekend, taking place on Saturday, March 8 & Sunday, March 9, 2014.
The Arts Catalyze Placemaking Program was created to invest in the state's arts-based cultural activities and infrastructure to advance the attractiveness and competitiveness of Connecticut cities, towns, and villages as meaningful communities in which to live, work, learn and play. The Center for the Arts has partnered with the Connecticut Dance Alliance, Middletown Senior Center, Moody Elementary School, and Green Street Arts Center to extend the reach of DanceMasters Weekend to include classes for seniors and children. In addition, several restaurants in Middletown will offer special fixed-price menus for dinner on Valentine's Day, after which patrons can choose to attend either the dance performance or the classical music concert. Participating restaurants will include La Boca Mexican Restaurant and Cantina, Tibetan Kitchen Restaurant, Typhoon Restaurant, and The Nest.
"Supporting the arts in our community is an important part of promoting better quality of life for our residents and ensuring local artists can succeed," said State Representative Matthew Lesser. "Congratulations to the Center for the Arts and Middletown residents who benefit from these grants."
"This grant will enable Wesleyan to connect more deeply with Middletown residents and businesses. We’re excited to have children from Moody and Green Street take classes with Brandon 'Peace' Albright, a master hip hop artist from Philadelphia, and have Middletown seniors experience the artistry of Middletown’s own Broadway veteran, Carolyn Kirsch," said Pamela Tatge, Director of the Center for the Arts at Wesleyan University. "The grant will also enable us to promote patronage of area restaurants to people traveling to Wesleyan from all over the state to attend our Valentine’s Day performances."
The Connecticut Office of the Arts awarded 43 Arts Catalyze Placemaking "Arts Leadership" grants in the amount of $592,587, and 61 Arts Catalyze Placemaking "Supporting Arts in Place" grants in the amount of $240,082. The Art Catalyze Placemaking "Arts Leadership" category awards six-month grants ranging from $1,500 to $25,000 for the planning and/or implementation of arts-based creative placemaking projects. This category requires partnerships, develops community engagement and positions the arts in a leadership role. The Arts Catalyze Placemaking "Supporting Arts in Place" category awards matching grants to eligible arts organizations and municipal arts offices to strengthen the state's nonprofit arts industry. "Supporting Arts in Place" grants provide funding allocations derived from organizational data and are calculated by mathematical formula.
About the Connecticut Office of the Arts
The Office of the Arts develops and strengthens the arts in Connecticut and makes artistic experiences widely available to residents and visitors. Through its grant programs, the Office invests in Connecticut artists and arts organizations thereby encouraging public participation as creators, learners, supporters and audience members. Through its programs and services, the Office connects people to the arts and helps to build vital communities across the state. Through its programs, the Office encourages arts in education to promote life-long learning. The Office of the Arts oversees The Gallery at Constitution Plaza in Hartford, which features changing exhibitions, and is dedicated to promoting cultural enrichment and visual understanding. In addition, the Office of the Arts plays an ongoing convening role and provides an array of training and professional development opportunities. The Office of the Arts collects and disseminates state, regional and national arts information resources via web communications, directories, publications, data-sharing, one-on-one consultations, and referrals.
The Office of the Arts is funded by the State of Connecticut and the National Endowment for the Arts and receives support from other public and private sources.
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