CCCA Awarded Cultural Tourism Initiative grant from the Arts & Business Council of New York

Will Maitland Weiss, Executive Director of the Arts & Business Council of New York, announced that the Columbia County Council on the Arts was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Cultural Tourism Initiative Grant Program. 

In the announcement letter, Mr. Weiss states, “We applaud your commitment to stimulating economic development through cultural tourism….  Efforts such as yours have the potential to make significant impact on the quality of life in communities throughout the State.”

The grant is specifically to fund marketing expenses for Weekends in the Country, a collaborative project with Columbia County Department of Tourism.  Weekends in the Country activities will extend Columbia County’s’ tourist season beyond its typical mid-October conclusion.  The project will last ten weeks, “bookended” by two of the county’s largest events, Columbia County Council on the Arts’ 13th Annual Hudson ArtsWalk, a 10-day multi-arts festival culminating Columbus Day, and the Hudson Opera House’s Winter Walk, an afternoon celebration renowned for bringing thousands of family and arts-oriented visitors to Hudson. 

In between those events, a cornucopia of activities that highlight the bounty of Columbia County’s rich art, architectural, historical, agricultural, and natural riches will be offered.  Additional partners in the application process were the Hudson Opera House, HudsonCityBiz, Hudson Development Corporation, Chatham Film Festival, Ghent Playhouse, Columbia Hudson Partnership, Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, City of Hudson Arts Entertainment and Tourism Committee, Columbia County Lodging Association, Spencertown Academy, Hawthorne Valley School, Clermont State Historic Site, Olana State Historic Site, Hudson Antique Dealers Association, Shaker Museum and Library, The Theater Barn, Columbia County Historical Society, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site, Hudson Athens Lighthouse Preservation society, Copake Theatre Company, Austerlitz Historical Society, Walking the Dog Theater Company, Four Nations Ensemble, and others.

Other funded projects in this year’s cycle include Adirondack Architectural Heritage for Adirondack Rustic Architecture Study Tours; Brooklyn Botanic Garden for Experience the Heart of Brooklyn; Cattaraugus County Arts Council for Routes to Art; Dance Theater Workshop for Destination Chelsea; Harlem Stage/Aaron Davis Hall for Harlem One Stop Destination Uptown; Hallwalls Contemporary art Center for Beyond/In Western New York; Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council for Seasons in the Battenkill Valley, and Westchester Arts Council for All Fired Up!

Further information on this program contact the CCCA at 518 671 6213, emailing info@artscolumbia.org, or visiting www.weekendsinthecountry.org.

Columbia County Council on the Arts received funding for this program from the Cultural Tourism Initiative, a project of the Arts & Business Council of New York and the New York State Council on the Arts.

Cultural Tourism Initiative
In 2003, CCCA was the recipient of one of ten grants awarded for cultural promotion by the Arts and Business Council and the New York State Council on the Arts. CCCA's project capitalizes on one of the region's major arts assets: organizations that present large-scale sculpture exhibits. The Sculpture and Nature Tour offers both group and self-guided tours of the foremost sculptural gardens and contemporary art collections in the Hudson Valley and neighboring Berkshire County, Massachusetts, including Art Omi, Storm King, MassMOCA and the Dia: Beacon. This project will offer visitors and residents alike a diverse travel and artistic experience while, at the same time, serving to promote greater prosperity in the region. Click here to go to website.

Arts in Education Program
CCCA has been working to assess the state of the arts education in Columbia County's schools. As a first step, an Arts Education Survey was developed and sent to each of the County's 24 schools. Results were then tabulated and presented at a Roundtable workshop for administrative and teaching staff. The objective of the Roundtable was to present survey findings and, with the help of participants, develop "Next Steps" for CCCA to pursue in expanding arts education opportunities for the schools. If you are interested in participating in this program, e-mail us at info@artscolumbia.org.

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