RED BANK — Monmouth Arts has announced the recipients of the ArtHelps Local Arts Program grant awards for fiscal year 2017.
These grants help Monmouth Arts meet its mission to enrich the community by inspiring and fostering the arts. These grants will result in over 3,000 high-quality, low-cost art events, including art exhibitions, concerts, dance, theater, film and festivals throughout Monmouth County that will reach over 800,000 people.
Twenty-five groups submitted grants requesting a total of $154,258, and 24 received grants. The awarded grants totaled $94,500, including $3,500 in mini grants that will be awarded during the year for smaller arts projects by organizations, including new and emerging groups.
Grants are awarded through a competitive process evaluated by a panel of arts experts with recommendations sent to the Monmouth Arts Board of Trustees for approval.
Applications were evaluated on the following criteria: artistic excellence and organizational capacity; broad public benefit; accessibility to the public; commitment to lifelong learning in the arts; and accountability (financial soundness with broad support). Funds for these grants come through the Local Arts Program of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
The awards were presented at a networking meeting held at House of Independents in Asbury Park on Sept. 21. During the meeting, Monmouth Arts premiered their new website www.monmoutharts.org.
The grants include general operating support for arts organizations, general program support for other types of nonprofit organizations that have significant arts programs, special project support for all types of nonprofit organizations, small-scale arts activity grants and mini grants for small and emerging groups.
The Monmouth Arts 2017 ArtHelps grantees include: Arcadian Chorale (Matawan); Art Alliance of Monmouth County (Red Bank); Art Society of Monmouth County (Monmouth Beach); Asbury Park Music Foundation; Atlantic Highlands Arts Council; Ballet Company of the Performing Arts Ensemble (Red Bank); Center Players (Freehold); Company of Dance Arts (Tinton Falls); Derling Dance Arts (Red Bank); First Avenue Playhouse (Atlantic Highlands); Guild of Creative Art (Shrewsbury); Heart of New Jersey Chorus (Hazlet); Jazz Arts Project (Red Bank, Asbury Park); Middletown Arts Center; Monmouth Civic Chorus (Red Bank); Monmouth Symphony Orchestra (Red Bank); New Jersey Chamber Singers (Red Bank); New Jersey State Youth Orchestra (Red Bank); Phoenix Productions (Red Bank); Pipes & Drums of the Atlantic Watch (Red Bank); Premier Theatre Company (Asbury Park); Red Bank RiverCenter; Shrewsbury Chorale; and ZEYBRAH (Long Branch).
For more information on the ArtHelps Local Arts Program grants, contact Danielle Acerra at [email protected] or call 732-212-1890, ext. 3.