Community Arts Grants

The Community Arts Grants Decentralization Program (DEC) is funded by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). This program provides funding to community-based not-for-profit organizations and artists sponsored by these agencies. Decentralization funds are also available to local municipalities, towns and villages for cultural and arts programming. These funds are intended to support programs and services with strong public components providing direct benefit to county residents.

The program also offers Individual Artist Grants for the creation of a new, original body of work that engages the community in the creative process through dialogue, reflection, or active participation.

Community Arts Grants (DEC) & Individual Artist Grant Applications Available NOW!
Could your organization use a boost to its arts programming? Are you an artist with an idea for an interesting public program or a community inspired idea for your own original work? Do you represent a village, library or other nonprofit that wishes to hire local artists for a literature, music, film, or visual arts activity? We may have the solution!

Community Arts Grants include three categories of support. Project Support for Not-for-Profit Organizations offers grants to community-based nonprofit organizations, local municipalities, towns and villages. Conduit – Artist Project Support offers individuals or artistic teams the opportunity to partner with a nonprofit and apply for project support.

Have a solid idea but no nonprofit sponsor? Our Director of Community Arts Grants may be able to help. Funding for both types of projects is intended primarily to be applied toward artist fees for quality cultural and arts programming. Projects must take place in Columbia county, be accessible and beneficial to the public. Project Support request amounts can be up to $5,000. Most awards are between $1200 – $1500. Deadline for 2012 Project Support & Conduit-Artist applications is Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011.

We also have Individual Artist Grants available. The Individual Artist Grant awards $2,000 to artists (visual, performing, or literary) for the creation of a new body of work that challenges the artist AND engages the local community. “Community” can be defined as geographic, racial, ethnic, or philosophical. Community engagement can be accomplished in a number of ways: through setting, physical or intellectual participation in process, as subject for the work, etc,. These grants are intended to support original works by artists interested in working in dialogue with a community at the creative stage of their process. Deadline for 2012 Individual Artist Grant applications is Oct. 1, 2011.

All categories of funding are competitive. Proposals are reviewed by individuals from the community who are sensitive to the needs and challenges specific to Greene and Columbia County artists and small nonprofits. There will be a series of free 2-hour grant workshops in your county to clarify eligibility, guidelines, and offer guidance and support for applicants. New applicants are strongly encouraged to attend one single-session workshop (in either county) or meet with our Director of Community Arts Grants prior to submitting an application.

Project Support & Conduit Artist Grant Workshops

Columbia County
Thurs, July 21 – Stuyvesant Town Hall, 5 Sunset Dr, Stuyvesant 6 – 8 PM

Tues, Aug 2 – Spencertown Academy Arts Center, Auditorium, 790 Rte 203 Spencertown (newly air conditioned!) 6 – 8 PM

Sat, Aug 6 – Columbia County Council on the Arts, 209 Warren St, Hudson. 10 AM – 12 PM

Greene County
Tues, July 19 – Catskill Public Library, 1 Franklin St, Catskill 5:45 – 7:45 PM

Tues, July 26 – Tannersville Village Hall, 1 Park Lane, Tannersville 5:45 – 7:45 PM

Thurs, July 28 – Community Room at Cornell Hook & Ladder, 77 Gill Rd, New Baltimore 6 – 8 PM

Individual Artist Grant Workshops
Mon, Aug 29 – Hudson Opera House, 327 Warren Street, Hudson 6 – 7:30 PM

Thurs, Sept 1 – Greene County Council on the Arts, 398 Main St, Catskill 6 – 7:30 PM

Call the Director of Community Arts Grants at 518-943-3400 or email Colettegcca@hotmail.com to register. The Decentralization Program (DEC) is funded by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and administered by Greene & Columbia County Councils on the Arts. Consequently, Decentralization funding does not support organizations already receiving funding directly from NYSCA.

2011 Current Recipients:
DEC Award Announcement
Individual Artist Award 2011

2012 Applications:
Project Support Directions 2012
Project Support Application 2012
Conduit Artist Directions 2012
Conduit Artist Project Support Application
IA Application 2012

Final Report Forms
Project Support Final Report 2011
IA Final Report Form 2011

Linda Arnaud Individual Artist Grant Awarded

At the Columbia County Council of the Arts “Members Show Opening Reception” held at the Chatham Fairhouse on Saturday, October 8th, the Linda Arnaud Memorial Fund Individual Artist Grant Award was announced and awarded to Cynthia Mulvaney of Kinderhook, New York.

Through a competitive process the Linda Arnaud Memorial Fund Individual Grant, using CCCA as the administrator, annually awards a Columbia County visual artist who works in oil, watercolor, acrylic, mixed media or photography, a grant in the amount of $2,500. The primary goal of this support is to significantly advance the work of the artist. The project must result in the creation of new work. Applications were reviewed by an independent review committee and chaired by Michel Arnaud.

The grant was awarded to Cynthia Mulvaney for her art project entitled “Faces of Columbia County.” In the course of a year Cynthia will complete a series of 52 portraits of individuals who represent Columbia County’s past and present. “I wish to weave each individual thread into what will become a cohesive, singular piece and whose history and roots fold into the tapestry of our community. We can learn their stories portrayed in the paintings and learn how we are all interconnected,” states Cynthia. The final project of portraits and stories will be on display for the community to view. For more information or to apply to be included in this project, visit www.facesofcolumbiacounty.webs.com

Workshops

CCCA Summer Workshop Series July 2011 at Columbia Green Community College was a big success!

Instructor Ulrike Grannis held classes teaching Paper Marbling and Book Binding.

Instructor M. Scott Schaffernoth held classes teaching Editing Your Digital Photographs Using Adobe Photoshop Elements and Creating Digital Photographic Composites Using Adobe Photoshop Elements

Watch for more CCCA Workshop Classes coming soon!

Arts in Education

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.