Arts Council of Fairfax County Awards $475,944 through Three Grant Programs to Over 40 Nonprofit Arts Organizations in Fairfax County

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Arts Council Awards
Arts Council of Fairfax County Awards $475,944 through Three Grant Programs to Over 40 Nonprofit Arts Organizations in Fairfax County

Fairfax County, VA – The Arts Council of Fairfax County has awarded $379,104 in Operating Support Grants to 39 nonprofit arts organizations, $86,904 in Project Support Grants to 15 nonprofit arts organizations, and $9,936 in Organizational and Professional Development Grants to five nonprofit arts organizations in Fairfax County for FY 2018. These grants support activities in all arts disciplines, including arts education, dance, film, instrumental music, theatre and vocal music or opera. The FY 2018 grants fund over 14,000 arts events, including exhibits, performances and classes attended by over 500,000 Fairfax County residents and visitors.

“Congratulations to all the outstanding organizations who have received Arts Council grants in 2017,” said Linda S. Sullivan, President & CEO of the Arts Council of Fairfax County. “These are competitive grants to organizations who provide excellent arts programming for Fairfax County residents, strengthening our communities and enriching our quality of life. The Arts Council is committed to funding opportunities for every Fairfax resident to find their creative voice through the arts and live in a community where creativity can thrive.”

Beyond monetary support, the Arts Council grants are a seal of approval, allowing an organization to attract other public and private funds beyond the required match. Grant recipients raise over seven million dollars in matching investment by businesses, private donors and foundations.

“These Arts Council grant programs strengthen local nonprofit arts organizations,” said Jo M. Hodgin, Board Member for the Arts Council of Fairfax County, Chair of the Arts Council’s Grants Committee, and Commissioner for Virginia Commission for the Arts. “Because of these grants, organizations are able to provide better services to the community. The arts organizations these grants support offer Fairfax residents and visitors a breadth of options to enhance not only their leisure time but also the quality of their health, education and community.”

Operating Support Grants provide funds for the basic operation of arts organizations in Fairfax County in recognition of the valuable programs and services they provide to County residents. These grants also contribute to the stability of these organizations. For FY 2018, Operating Support Grant recipients include Acting for Young People, American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras, Arts Herndon, BalletNova Center for Dance, City of Fairfax Band Association, Classical Ballet Theatre, Creative Cauldron, Fairfax Choral Society, Greater Reston Arts Center, Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, McLean Orchestra, McLean Project for the Arts, Metropolitan School of the Arts, Mosaic Harmony, Mount Vernon Community Children’s Theatre, New Dominion Chorale, NextStop Theatre Company, Providence Players of Fairfax, Public Art Reston, Reston Community Players, Reunion Music Society, The Choralis Foundation, The Fairfax Ballet Company, The Hub Theatre, The McLean Symphony, The Northern Virginia Chorale, The Reston Chorale, The Vienna Jammers Percussion Ensemble, Traveling Players Ensemble, Vienna Choral Society, Vienna-Falls Chorus, Virginia Ballet Company and School, Virginia Chamber Orchestra, Virginia Opera Association, Voce Chamber Singers, Washington Balalaika Society, Washington West Film Festival, Workhouse Arts Foundation, and 1st Stage.

“Every new year, I wake up and am so grateful for the Arts Council,” said Jeanne Harrison, Producing Artistic Director of the Traveling Players Ensemble, one of the nonprofit arts organizations in Fairfax County that received an Operating Support Grant for FY 2018. “The Arts Council’s generous and continuous support has sustained us over the years.”

“The American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras program is one of the longest-running in the country, serving the young musicians of Northern Virginia for 53 years,” said Dr. Graham Elliott, Executive Director of American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras. “We are profoundly grateful to the Arts Council of Fairfax County for its consistent support over many years. The Operating Support Grant we have received is an important part of what allows us to continue to expand our outreach and opportunity to hundreds of young people each season.”

“We are grateful to the Arts Council of Fairfax County for its continued support of Mosaic Harmony,” said Nikki Barnett Harrell, President of Mosaic Harmony.” The funding provided by the Operating Support Grant enables us to further our mission of promoting unity through diversity, using the powerful medium of song.”

Project Support Grants are non-recurring grants used to support arts organizations in providing activities that engage new audiences in the arts and contribute to the vibrancy as well as the quality of life in Fairfax County. For FY 2018, Project Support Grant recipients include Amadeus Concerts, American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras, BalletNova Center for Dance, Creative Cauldron, Fairfax Choral Society, George Mason University, Greater Reston Arts Center, Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, MVLE, NextStop Theatre Company, Public Art Reston, The Hub Theatre, Traveling Players Ensemble, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, and 1st Stage.

Examples of funded projects include:
• Dance classes for children with special needs in Chantilly,
• An interactive pantomime play in Herndon, and
• A public art installation in an underpass in Reston.

Organizational and Professional Development Grants fund activities that improve organizational management for nonprofit arts organizations. For FY 2018, these grants will support professional development, consulting services, information technology (IT) updates, financial management training and organizational upgrades. FY 2018 recipients include the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, Mount Vernon Community Children’s Theatre, Traveling Players Ensemble, Vienna Arts Society, and 1st Stage.

Arts Council grants are awarded through a competitive process. Over $1.5 million was requested by 71 organizations for FY 2018.

The Arts Council is currently accepting applications for FY 2019 Operating Support Grants, and an Operating Support Grant Workshop will be held on January 5, 2018. The deadline for Operating Support Grant applications is February 15, 2018.

Two other Arts Council grant programs are now accepting applications: Fast Track Grants and Strauss Artist Grants. Fast Track Grants are non-matching grants to Fairfax County arts organizations to fund one-time events or activities that fall outside the regular cycle or scope of Arts Council grants, and applications are permitted on a rolling basis. Strauss Artist Grants recognize the work and contributions to the quality of life in Fairfax County of professional artists as well as their continued pursuit of their creative work and their demonstrated history of accomplishments. The deadline for Strauss Artist Grant applications is January 10, 2018.

For more information on Arts Council grant programs, free workshops, grant panels and eligibility, please visit https://ArtsFairfax.wpengine.com/grants.

About the Arts Council of Fairfax County

The Arts Council of Fairfax County fosters a dynamic and diverse arts scene throughout Fairfax County. We ensure the arts thrive by providing vision, leadership, capacity-building services, advocacy, funding, education, and information. The Arts Council distributes over $500,000 annually through competitive grants and awards to arts organizations and artists of all disciplines. The Arts Council of Fairfax County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and Fairfax County’s designated local arts agency. It is funded in part by Fairfax County, corporations, foundations, individuals, the Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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