ArtsKC Awards Catalyst Project Grants and Arts Education Grants
Kansas City Region (December 21, 2020) - ArtsKC - Regional Arts Council announces recipients of the Catalyst Project Grant, part of its financial support for the arts community. A total of $39,500 was granted to 16 nonprofit organizations.
Catalyst Project Grants are for nonprofit organizations with arts projects, activities, or programs. Funding is restricted to the specific arts program, project, or activity that is proposed. Catalyst grants reach a broad range of organizations with art programs in a competitive process. ArtsKC offered a special opportunity for Arts Education funding within the process, thanks to the generous support of the David T. Beals III Charitable Trust. ArtsKC received 31 applications, which were reviewed by a volunteer committee chaired by ArtsKC Board Member Michael Toombs. The committee spent a significant amount of time evaluating the applications before making recommendations to the Board, which approved the grants.
“Our arts community continues to adapt, determined to create, present, and nurture art for as many people as possible. Their resiliency against the challenges of COVID-19 is astounding. Projects this year especially demonstrate a commitment to artistic excellence and health safety. Despite this resilience, many organizations demonstrated a heightened need due to financial losses, staffing changes, and the difficult circumstances of many of their participants. ArtsKC is devoted to seeing our arts ecosystem through to a stable recovery.” - Dana Knapp, President & CEO, ArtsKC
This year’s Catalyst Project recipients are:
- Art in the Loop Foundation, 2021 Art in the Loop Project
- ArtsTech, Splash Mob*
- CHWC (Community Housing of Wyandotte County), CHWC Community Arts Engagement & Programming
- Future Education, Chinese Art Projects for Kids
- Heartland Chamber Music, Ltd., String Sprouts KC*
- The International Radio Project of Kansas City, Crown Crafted Music Series
- KC Melting Pot Theatre Productions, Inc., KCMPT Workforce Development
- Lenexa Arts Council, Lenexa Arts Council Community Orchestra
- Mattie Rhodes Center, Visual Arts After-School Art Programming*
- No Divide KC, 1st Annual Queer Narratives Festival
- Northeast Community Center / Harmony Project KC, Music & Mentoring at Harmony Project KC*
- Owen/Cox Dance Group, Owen/Cox Dance Group Dance on Film Series
- Synergy Services, Youth Resiliency Center (YRC) Arts Program
- United Inner City Services, Arts@UICS
- The Whole Person, Expressions Art Exhibition
- Youth Ambassadors, Inc., Youth Ambassadors Summer & School Year Programming
*Recipients of the Catalyst Project / Arts Education grants
"We are so excited for this collaboration and partnership! Thank you and the whole ArtsKC team for supporting our young musicians." - Kyla Pitts-Zevin, Northeast Community Center / Harmony Project KC
ArtsKC distributes grants annually to support the arts in the region. This cycle of grants proves more crucial and needed compared to previous years due to the global pandemic.
About the ArtsKC – Regional Arts Council
ArtsKC is a regional nonprofit arts council that promotes, supports and advocates for the arts across a five-county region. We promote the arts for their individual, community and economic benefits. And, we create initiatives that drive audience engagement in the arts. We provide arts organizations, artists & arts programs with professional support & investment, including grants that we award annually. We serve as the voice of the arts regionally by building relationships with government officials & advocating for the development of public funding, all in support of the arts as an economic & social driver. Please visit www.ArtsKC.org for more information and visit www.artskcgo.com, a local arts and cultural events calendar brought to you by ArtsKC.