COUNTY EXECUTIVE GEORGE LATIMER ANNOUNCES $205,000 IN MATCHING GRANTS BENEFITING 48 ARTS GROUPS IN WESTCHESTER

DATE: January 13, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Catherine Cioffi
Communications Director
Office – (914) 995-2932
Cell- (914) 954 -5579
CCioffi@westchestergov.com

County Executive George Latimer Announces $205,000

in Matching Grants Benefiting 48 Arts Groups in Westchester

 

The Arts$WChallenge, a Public/Private Matching Grant Program Administered by ArtsWestchester, Raises $353,189 in Private Support for Arts & Culture

(White Plains, NY) – Westchester County Executive George Latimer and the Westchester County Board of Legislators today joined with ArtsWestchester to announce that 48 Westchester arts organizations are the recipients of matching funds from the Art$WChallenge grant program. This matching grant program, made possible with $205,000 of Westchester County support, provides much-needed funding for arts and culture in Westchester County.

In total, the 48 arts organizations raised $353,189 in new private funds through the 2019 Art$WChallenge program. Together with the matching County funds, the program successfully leveraged a total of $558,189 for arts and culture in Westchester last year.

County Executive George Latimer explained: “Since the inception of the Arts$WChallenge in 2007, this powerful public/private program has raised over $6 Million in support for Westchester’s arts and cultural sector. In many ways, this particular matching grant program helps to strengthen the cultural infrastructure of Westchester by fueling organizations located in cities and towns across the County.”

Janet T. Langsam, CEO of ArtsWestchester said: “On behalf of ArtsWestchester, I would like to thank Westchester County and the Board of Legislators for their long-term investment in an arts program that over thirteen years has paid dividends for the economy. With cultural visitors spending nearly twice as much as local arts attendees and with the cultural sector generating more than $172 Million in economic activity annually, this grant program is great for Westchester.”

The following 48 arts organizations were awarded matching grants through ArtsWestchester’s 2019 Art$WChallenge program:

  • Actors Conservatory Theatre
  • Arc Stages
  • Axial Theatre
  • Ballet des Ameriques School and Company
  • Bethany Arts Community
  • Blue Door Art Center
  • Chappaqua Orchestra
  • Clay Art Center
  • Clocktower Players
  • Copland House
  • Downtown Music at Grace
  • Emelin Theatre for Performing Arts
  • Fine Arts Orchestral Society of Yonkers
  • Friends of Music Concerts
  • Hamm & Clov Stage Company
  • Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden
  • Historic Hudson Valley
  • Hoff-Barthelson Music School
  • Hudson Stage Company
  • Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art
  • Hudson Valley Writers Center
  • India Center of Westchester
  • Jacob Burns Film Center
  • Jazz Forum Arts
  • Katonah Museum of Art
  • Lyndhurst, A National Trust Historic Site
  • Mamaroneck Artists Guild
  • Mount Vernon Public Library
  • Neuberger Museum
  • Pelham Art Center
  • Picture House Regional Film Center
  • Rehabilitation Through the Arts
  • Rivertowns Arts Council
  • Schoolhouse Theater
  • Songcatchers
  • Steffi Nossen Dance Foundation
  • Taconic Opera
  • Tarrytown Music Hall
  • The Revelators
  • The Rye Arts Center
  • The Symphony of Westchester
  • Urban Studio Unbound
  • Westchester Children’s Museum
  • Westchester Collaborative Theatre
  • Westchester Philharmonic
  • White Plains Performing Arts Center
  • YoFi Fest
  • Youth Theatre Interactions

For more information about ArtsWestchester, visit artswestchester.org.


About ArtsWestchester

For over 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.


About Westchester County

Westchester County, located in the heart of the historic Hudson Valley, covers 500 square miles and has a population of just under a million.  Originally home to Native Americans, who were members of the Lenape tribe, it is today a rich mix of many cultures and landscapes.  The County is a blend of bustling cities, quaint villages and picturesque towns as well as open spaces and a network of beautiful parks. Westchester is made up of 6 cities, 19 towns and 20 villages.  Westchester County is known for top-notch public schools, and a high quality of life.  The County is also an intellectual capital, boasting a highly educated workforce, competitive colleges and universities, Fortune 500 companies, world changing non-profits, and cutting-edge research centers.  Westchester is led by County Executive George Latimer, who took office in January 2018 as the ninth County Executive. Using inclusion and openness as a foreground, Latimer is fighting to make Westchester a destination for all people to live, work and enjoy. Learn more about Westchester County by visiting www.westchestergov.com

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