State opens purse for area arts groups

The Surry Arts Council was on the receiving end of some good news this week when the North Carolina Arts Council announced recipients of $11.5 million in grant funding.

The Surry Arts Council were among 366 recipients of grant funding, receiving two grants from the state organization totaling more than $59,000. For the Grassroots Arts Program, the local council was granted $51,123, while the Traditional Arts Programs for Students (TAPS) received $8,000.

Tanya Jones of the Surry Arts Council said that TAPS funding will go toward providing free weekly dance, fiddle, guitar, banjo, and mandolin lessons at the historic Earle Theatre in Mount Airy every Thursday throughout the year.

Funds will also support the summer Surry Strings Camp that provides a group of students in grades three through five a “hands-on opportunity to experience stringed instrument instruction.”

“We have been fortunate to receive that grant for over 20 years, since the program began, and have had hundreds of young people go through the program. Our TAPS students were invited to perform in Raleigh for legislators and arts officials across the state this past May on Arts Day,” Jones said. This year the arts council was among 25 groups to receive the TAPS grant.

She said there was even more good news regarding Surry String Camp. “We also received a $2,000 grant from the Wayne Henderson Foundation this past year and purchased 14 new youth-size guitars for the program.“

Grassroots funds are allocated to each county in the state based on population, Jones said. “The Surry Arts Council serves as the distributing agency for Surry County for these funds. There is a significant level of accountability.”

While not a large grant, half the funds will be distributed in part to other non-profit organizations that provide arts programming. Remaining funds will be used for “multicultural programs, marketing, and other expenses in order to keep Arts Alive and other seasonal programming affordable for everyone,” she said.

Jones rattled off a laundry list of groups who had received some benefit from last year’s Grassroots funding, including, in part, Friends of the Mount Airy Library, African American Historical and Genealogical Society of Surry County, Reeves Community Center Foundation, and the choral group Voce.

Across the area, the Stokes Arts Council received $55,587; the Yadkin Arts Council was granted $41,009; the Foothills Arts Council is receiving $14,000; and Wilkes Art Gallery was granted $48,474. The Alleghany Arts Council will get $19,025 while the Alleghany Junior Appalachian Musicians were granted $16,000.

“The record number of applications we received this grant cycle signals that artists are inspiring audiences and producing arts experiences that make our state a wonderful place to live, work, and visit,” said Jeff Bell, North Carolina Arts Council’s executive director.

This year’s grant awards significantly increase the N.C. Arts Council’s investment in small and midsized arts organizations. Eighty-five new organizations are receiving flexible funding through a new initiative that will double the agency’s investment in work that promotes sustainability in the arts sector.

The state sees the potential long-term financial benefit from an investment in the arts. “The arts benefit North Carolinians of all ages,” said Gov. Roy Cooper. “These grants will enrich our communities as well as grow their economies throughout all one hundred counties.”

“The arts are woven into the fabric of our state’s identity and... I see firsthand how much the creative sector contributes to the cultural and economic vibrancy of cities, towns, and regions. When the arts flourish, communities flourish,” said Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson.

“I thank Gov. Cooper and the General Assembly for championing our arts and culture sector. The arts deliver more than $2 billion in economic impact annually to our state and are a powerful tool to uplift entire communities,” Bell said.