ArtsWestchester Announces Grant Opportunities for Artists, Community Groups and Cultural Organizations in Westchester and Rockland Counties

Deadlines to Apply for Arts Alive Grants are September 26 in Westchester and October 2 in Rockland

ArtsWestchester invites artists, cultural groups and community organizations to apply for the 2019 Arts Alive Grants. Awarded annually, these grants help to ensure that residents throughout Westchester and Rockland counties have access to the arts in their communities, particularly in areas where access may be limited.

The deadlines to apply for Arts Alive Grants are Wednesday, September 26, 2018 in Westchester County and Tuesday, October 2, 2018 in Rockland County. Applications and program guidelines are available online at https://artswestchester.org/grants/arts-alive-grant-program.

Arts Alive Grants are made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program (DEC), a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Legislature, and are administered by ArtsWestchester.

“The Arts Alive Grants are one of our most effective means of supporting arts activities for diverse populations in Westchester and Rockland counties,” said Janet Langsam, CEO of ArtsWestchester. “These grants are an opportunity not just for artists, but also for cultural groups and community organizations such as houses of worship or libraries, for instance. So long as your organization can demonstrate a history of ongoing arts and cultural programs, you are eligible to apply for these grants.”

New York State Assemblyman David Buchwald said: “One of the ways ArtsWestchester works to ensure the arts are accessible to everyone in both Westchester and Rockland is through its administration of Arts Alive grants funded by NYSCA. This grants program supports arts projects spanning all communities, economic levels and cultures. It is really at the heart of ArtsWestchester’s mission.”

An independent panel comprised of artists, as well as business, civic and cultural leaders, will review the applications and make award recommendations to ArtsWestchester’s Board of Trustees. Funds are available in three categories:

Arts Alive Project Grant – Constitutes the largest component of the Arts Alive funding category. These grants support community-based arts and cultural projects developed by arts organizations, groups, collectives, individual artists, and a limited number of other nonprofits that offer open-to-the public arts activities as part of their on-going operations. First time applicants are most competitive. Artists and unincorporated arts organizations may apply for project grants in tandem with a fiscal agent organization. Project Grant Award: $1,000 – $5,000
Arts Alive Artist Grant – grants support the creation and presentation of new work by professional artists. An essential element of this funding is the inclusion of a community engagement component. The project must engage a segment of the community through a public program, such as an exhibition or performance that is open to the public, and/or the inclusion of community involvement in the development and creative process of the artists’ project. Artist Grant Award: $2,500
Arts Alive Arts Education Grant – grants support lifelong learning in the arts through partnerships between individual artists, or arts organizations, and Westchester or Rockland public schools (grades K-12), after school and lifelong learning programs. ArtsWestchester encourages projects that integrate the arts into the curriculum, but curriculum integration is not required. The primary goal is to provide students of all ages with rich artistic learning experiences. Programs may take place in classrooms; after-school programs; or community sites, including day-care and senior centers. Arts Education Grant Award: $1,000 to $2,500

For 2018, Arts Alive granted funding to projects that spanned across various projects, including music programming, short story writing workshops for kids, and theater performances. Additionally, cultural festivals and concerts series were among the community events awarded.

Several pre-application workshops will take place over the next few months to help individuals fill out the applications. In addition, this year ArtsWestchester is offering office hours by appointment only on selected dates. Interested participants should email lbrady@artswestchester.org to RSVP for one of the following workshops or office hours:

Tuesday, August 14
5:30pm
Blue Door Art Center
13 Riverdale Avenue
Yonkers, NY

Tuesday, August 28
9:30am
ArtsWestchester
31 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY (this workshop will be followed by office hours until 4pm)

Wednesday, August 29
5:30pm
Garner Art Center
55 West Railroad Avenue
Garnersville, NY (this workshop will be preceded by office hours 2-5:30pm)

Wednesday, Sept. 5
5:30pm
Clay Art Center
40 Beech Street
Port Chester, NY

Thursday, Sept. 13
5:30pm
Schoolhouse Theatre
3 Owens Road
North Salem, NY

About ArtsWestchester

For more than 50 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County. ArtsWestchester helps fund concerts, exhibitions and plays through grants; brings artists into schools and community centers; advocates for the arts; and builds audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community. A two-story gallery is located on the first floor of ArtsWestchester’s historic building on Mamaroneck Avenue.