Arts Foundation of Cape Cod Awards $53K in Grant Funding

HYANNIS – The Arts Foundation of Cape Cod awarded $53,000 in its latest round of grant funding to 33 recipients.

Grants are awarded to individuals, nonprofits, and educational institutions on the Cape which support, promote and celebrate the arts and culture with the goal of sustaining a vibrant, diverse and strong arts community.

It is the fourth straight year the Foundation increased its total funding and number of beneficiaries.

The foundation received 91 initial applications seeking over $190,000 in funding. The organization continues to see a growing demand for the grant funding.

The foundation was able to fully fund 17 of this year’s grant applicants, totaling $26,150.

“Every year we see requests to fund projects that utilize the arts as a catalyst for healing, to connect people with one another, and to inspire the next generation to reach great heights,” said AFCC Executive Director Julie Wake.

“It’s a reminder of the power the arts have on us as individuals and as a community. The arts aren’t just nice, they are necessary.”

The AFCC awarded $40,000 in grants to 26 awardees in 2018, $32,850 to 24 recipients in 2017, and $25,000 to 18 recipients in 2016.

From the latest round of grant funding, $10,000 was awarded to four recipients with projects that align with the goals of the foundation’s Access Program.

The program provides funding that creates artistic enrichment opportunities for economically-disadvantaged youth.

“We remain committed to helping children overcome economic barriers that may prohibit them from benefiting from what the arts has to offer,” Wake said.

A total of about $1.6 million has been awarded to artists and organizations across Cape Cod over the last 30-plus years.

The 2019 recipients include:

Boys and Girls Club of Cape Cod ($2,500) – Before- and after-school art programming. Funded through AFCC Access.

Cahoon Museum of American Art ($2,500) – Year-long interior contemporary art installation created by Boston-based artist Adria Arch.

Cape Symphony and Conservatory ($1,500) – Violin instruction, utilizing the Suzuki method, for preschool children.

TEDxProvincetown ($1,000) – Third Annual TEDxProvincetown event, tentatively scheduled for October 2020.

Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra ($1,500) – Commissioning piece commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage. The concert is scheduled for April 19, 2020.

Cape Cod Chorale ($500) – Two spring performances of Fanny and Felix Mendelssohns’ works, featuring the combined choruses of the Cape Cod Chorale and the Chorale Art Society of the South Shore.

Cape Cod Collaborative Arts Network ($2,600) – Cape Cod: Through the Lens of Inclusion and Community, an eight-week photography workshop for individuals with developmental, intellectual, and physical challenges.

Cape Cod Theatre Company/Harwich Junior Theatre ($2,500) – Implementation of a stage management mentor program.

Cotuit Center for the Arts ($1,500) – A free, monthly after-school art class for at-risk kids.
Cape Cod Museum of Art ($2,500) – Creative Outlets: Finding Your Voice Through the Arts, a free, out-of-school substance abuse prevention program that connects youth between the ages of 12-16, with arts-related workshops. Funded through AFCC Access.
Falmouth Community Television ($500) – Vacation Animation program geared to children ages of 6-12, and held during the summer, school breaks, and early release days.

Falmouth High School Ceramics Program ($800) – Ceramics project, related to the study of currents, gyres, and eddies inspired by classroom visits to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

Fine Arts Work Center ($2,000) – Community Arts Partners in Education Program (CAPE) in which the center’s fellows offer free creative and visual arts workshops to local students through Provincetown Public Schools as well as seniors through the Provincetown Council on Aging.

Harbor Stage Company ($1,000) – Summer series featuring theatrical readings of staged texts, including new works making their public debut.

Heritage Museums and Gardens ($2,500) – Outdoor art exhibit consisting of five custom LEGO installations of birds and insects native to Cape Cod.

Joyful Variations Chorus ($500) – Multigenerational inclusive chorus which presents seasonal music programs to residents in nursing homes and rehabilitation centers throughout Cape Cod.

Julia Cumes, Photographer ($2,000) – Portrait series focused on gender identity on Cape Cod, concluding with a public exhibit in 2020.

LaneCoArts ($550) – SummerSPLASH, a summer arts enrichment program geared to children in the Monomoy Regional School District.

MassHire/Cape & Islands Workforce Board ($2,500) – ArtWorks Program which places high school students in internship experiences across Cape Cod. Funded through AFCC Access.

Meetinghouse Clay Center ($600) – Hands-on ceramic instruction and clay demonstrations on May 2-3 as part of an open house held during ArtWeek 2020.

Musical Discoveries by Rachel Youngling ($2,500) – Monthly musical enrichment program in Head Start classrooms across Cape Cod. Funded through AFCC Access.

Nauset Regional Middle School ($1,000) – A school-wide Arts Day on March 20 in which students participate in hands-on arts activities and attend interactive arts performances. An exhibit will be held in May showcasing student work created during this year’s Arts Day.

Provincetown Art Association and Museum ($2,500) – “The Arrival, 1620,” an artist exhibit featuring the work of Mimi Gross commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ landing in Provincetown.

Provincetown Commons ($2,500) – A professional development series for artists.
Provincetown Film Society ($1,000) – Second Annual Jamaica on Film Festival to be held the weekend after Labor Day.

Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival ($2,000) – The 15 th annual festival in September will feature works focused on censorship and free expression while also celebrating the 400 th anniversary of the Pilgrims coming to Provincetown.

Provincetown Theater Foundation ($1,000) – Various off-season theater programs on the Outer Cape, including the 24-Hour Play Weekend.

Sturgis Library ($1,200) – A six-week flash fiction writing workshop for Cape Cod residents ages 16 and older, starting in May.

Tilden Arts Center/Cape Cod Community College ($2,500) – Shakespeare Under the Stars, free outdoor performances of Shakespeare’s works held during the summer in various venues throughout Cape Cod.