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Arts Services Initiative of WNY: 2016 community arts, arts education, individual artist grants available

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Mon, Aug 10th 2015 03:40 pm

20 percent more funding available, no CDP requirement for 2016

Arts Services Initiative of Western New York has announced the application process for New York State Council on the Arts Decentralization regrants in Erie and Niagara counties, with a 20 percent increase in overall funding available and no cultural data project requirement. All new applicants must attend an information session.

Applications are due at noon Oct. 16 for the following grants:

  • Erie County Community Arts
  • Erie County Arts Education
  • Niagara County Community Arts
  • Niagara County Arts Education
  • Erie County Individual Artist
  • Niagara County Individual Artist

The grants are intended for smaller cultural organizations, non-cultural organizations with arts programs or events, arts and cultural coalitions and networks, individual artists and teaching artists. It is expected that approximately $100,000 in total will be available.

Guidelines, applications and a list of information sessions are available now at www.asiwny.org.

"Now in our fourth grant cycle, we are pleased to announced that the New York State Council on the Arts has increased the total funds available to Erie and Niagara counties by 20 percent this year," ASI Associate Director and DEC Coordinator Jen Swan said. "Expanding on our mission of accessibility and professional development at ASI, we have removed the cultural data project requirement for all applicants as well. We anticipate many new and returning applicants based on these two factors."

Three panels will review applications:

  • Erie County Community Arts & Arts Education, chaired by African American Cultural Center's Paul Robeson Theatre Artistic Director Paulette Harris
  • Niagara County Community Arts & Arts Education, chaired by Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University Director Kate Koperski
  • Erie & Niagara Counties Individual Artist, chaired by Buffalo State College adjunct professor Gerald Mead

"The DEC grants are a cornerstone of ASI's work, and we're proud that we can empower so many great programs and organizations through them," ASI Executive Director Tod A. Kniazuk said. "From urban areas to some of our most rural communities, the DEC program helps bring arts and culture to all."

Information sessions begin Aug. 17 and run through Sept. 10. They will be held at a variety of locations in Erie and Niagara counties.

Information Session Schedule

  • 1:15 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17, Eggertsville-Snyder Public Library, 4622 Main St., Snyder
  • 3 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18, Aurora Town Library, 550 Main St., East Aurora
  • 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, Buffalo Suzuki Strings, 4 Webster St., North Tonawanda
  • 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, Clarence Public Library, 3 Town Place, Clarence
  • 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo
  • 3:15 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, Lewiston Public Library, 305 S. Eighth St., Lewiston
  • 1 p.m., Monday, Aug. 31, Frank E. Merriweather Library, 1324 Jefferson Ave., Buffalo
  • 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, Arts Underground, 66 E. Main St., Springville
  • 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, Niagara Arts and Cultural Center, 1201 Pine Ave., Niagara Falls
  • 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, Lockside Art Studio, 21 Main St., Lockport

Grants Available Through DEC

The Community Arts DEC Grant is a competitive arts grant that provides financial and technical assistance for community-based arts activities offered by eligible nonprofit organizations and/or individual artists with qualified partners in Erie and Niagara counties.

**Requests can be made between $500 and $5,000.

The Arts Education DEC Grant is a competitive arts grant that provides financial and technical assistance to cultural organizations and/or individual artists to support arts education projects in K-12 public school and publicly funded charter school settings in Erie and Niagara counties. These grants support the role that local cultural organizations and/or individual artists play in engaging K-12 students in rich artistic learning experiences. Funds are directed to cultural organizations and/or individual artists working in partnership with public schools or publicly funded charter schools.

**Requests can be made between $500 and $5,000.

The Individual Artist DEC Grant is a grant intended to support the creation of new work that engages the community through the artists' creative process. Artists residing in Erie and Niagara counties are eligible to apply for this grant for community-based projects. The goal of this grant is to support the creative work of individual artists in all disciplines while encouraging interaction between artists and community members to highlight the role of the artist as a community resource.

**Requests are a flat $2,500 commission.

These grants are administered by Arts Services Initiative of Western New York and funded by the New York State Council on the Arts. Grants are awarded for specific projects occurring between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2016.

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