$400K in grants fuel 'local arts ecosystem' in Westchester, Rockland

What does support for the arts look like across the Lower Hudson Valley?

When it comes to ArtsWestchester's ArtsAlive grants ‒ $400,000 given to more than 100 art makers in Westchester and Rockland counties ‒ it takes many shapes.

It can look like summer concerts in Mount Vernon or chamber music in Millwood. It can be a sensory-friendly performance of "The Nutcracker" in Cortlandt Manor or a celebration of Paul Robeson in Peekskill. It can be family art workshops in West Nyack or helping life-long learners find their songwriting voices in Pearl River.

The grants, funded by the New York State Senate Arts Initiative, will fuel 87 community art projects, commission 21 artists and fund a half-dozen educational programs.

Exploring timely themes

Penguin Rep, the professional theater in Stony Point, learned it was an ArtsAlive grant recipient in early June. It will use its $5,000 grant to stage the world premiere of "The Steel Man," written by Cary Gitter, whose play "Sabbath Girl" (written with Nyack's Neil Berg), began at Penguin earlier this summer and is now playing Off-Broadway.

"The Steel Man" is about a would-be actor in Pittsburgh living in the shadow of his father, a Hungarian Jewish Holocaust survivor. Penguin Artistic Director Joe Brancato, who will direct the world premiere, calls it "a powerful drama about a father and son haunted by the past but hopeful for a more promising future."

Penguin Executive Director Andrew Horn said the ArtsAlive grant "is vital in enabling Penguin to explore important and timely themes and commission new work for the stage."

Screenings and conversations at the Burns

Another grant recipient is Pleasantville's Jacob Burns Film Center, which received $2,000 for its "Community Matters Film Series."

For the Burns, the ArtsAlive grant means presenting films on the environment, public health, education, and human rights to encourage community engagement and inspire social change. A "Community Matters" event on July 16 saw a sold-out screening of the feature film "Sing Sing," about an arts program inside Westchester's maximum security prison.

The film stars Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin as incarcerated men who bond over their vulnerability and the power of the arts to teach collaboration, expression and coping skills.

Maclin took part in the post-screening Q&A at the Burns, alongside other veterans of Rehabilitation Through the Arts program. He spoke of the program's importance to the incarcerated men and how protective they were of making sure no one ran afoul of the rules, avoiding infractions that could jeopardize its future.

Among the dozens of ArtsAlive recipients in Westchester are:

• Antonia Arts gets $3,500 for its "OzLand Festival" Aug. 17 in Peekskill, one-time home of "Wizard of Oz" creator L. Frank Baum.
• Bedford Playhouse gets $5,000 for its sensory-adapted film series, where the volume is down and the lights are up.
• Living Artist Society gets $5,000 for "Here I Stand: 75th Anniversary of Paul Robeson in Peekskill" at the Paramount Hudson Valley on Sept. 15.
• Yonkers African American Heritage Committee gets $5,000 for its Juneteenth Parade and Festival.

The projects are not limited to Westchester. The Rockland recipients, chosen in collaboration with Arts Council of Rockland, include:

• Bridgemusik Inc in Tappan was granted $5,000 for free community concerts for neuro-diverse and family audiences.
• Friends of River Hook in Nyack received $3,000 for a public sculpture.
• Edward Hopper House Museum gets $4,000 for its "Plein-Air Painting Festival.
• Garner Arts Center gets $5,000 for its 2025 spring festival.

Fueling 'the local arts ecosystem'

Kathleen Reckling, the new CEO of ArtsWestchester, called the grants "vital in nurturing the local arts ecosystem."

"They empower community groups and individual artists to bring their creative visions to life, fostering cultural engagement and enhancing the quality of life in our region," she said.

The Arts Alive grants are administered by ArtsWestchester, with funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor's Office and the New York State Legislature.

New York Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who has helped secure $3.5 million for ArtsWestchester since 2022, said: “New York State is committed to sustaining a robust arts community that is a cornerstone of our local tourism in the Hudson Valley. Through these grants, we ensure that the vibrant cultural fabric of our region continues to thrive.”

Peter D. Kramer is a 36-year staffer who writes long-form narratives on a variety of topics. He has written recently about an Orange County cold-case murder, about affordability and development, and breaking news. His story looking back on the Oak Street fire in Yonkers won a national Headliner Award for outstanding news specials/feature column. Reach him at pkramer@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: $400K in grants fuel 'local arts ecosystem' in Westchester, Rockland