The Maine Arts Commission today announced that 19 non profit cultural organizations from Maine will receive a share of $325,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. Thirteen organizations will receive up to $10,000 each in federal funding through the Maine Arts Recovery program that is administered by the Maine Arts Commission. A further six organizations are set to receive between $25,000 and $50,000 each from the National Endowment for the Arts as part of their ARRA Direct Grants program. The funding will be used for the retention or reinstatement of critical staffing positions that have been jeopardized by the current economic climate.
Recovery Act funding was allocated to Maine in order to retain one of the state's vital economic sectors, a sector that employs an estimated 68,000 people in Maine and makes the state a special place to live, as well as a unique tourist attraction for thousands of annual visitors.
"The Maine Arts Commission is pleased to announce the approval of $325,000 in funding delivered to non profit arts organization throughout the state," said Maine Arts Commission Director, Donna McNeil. "This money is going to the people of Maine at a time when it is most needed, and the Maine Arts Commission has done everything that it can to move the federal Recovery Act dollars to the non profit arts sector in a timely manner. The cultural organizations receiving this funding are the cornerstone of Maine's quality of place; they are central to community life in every town and city in Maine."
Recipients of the Maine Arts Recovery program funding in this round are, the Association Culturelle et Historique du Mont-Carmel, Lille ($10,000); Friends of the DaPonte String Quartet, Damariscotta ($10,000); Johnson Hall Performing Arts Center, Gardiner ($10,000); Kennebec Valley Art Association, Hallowell ($10,000); L/A Arts, Lewiston ($10,000); Lark Society for Chamber Music, Portland ($6,000); Lincoln County Community Theater & Orchestra, Damariscotta ($10,000); Mahoosuc Arts Council, Bethel ($9,000); Penobscot Marine Museum, Searsport ($10,000); Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, Skowhegan ($10,000), Southern Aroostook Cultural Arts Project, Houlton ($10,000); VSA arts of Maine, Brunswick ($10,000); and Waterfall Arts from Belfast ($10,000).
Recipients of funding from the National Endowment for the Arts ARRA Direct Grants program are, Alice James Poetry Cooperative, Inc., Farmington ($25,000); Bangor Folk Festival, Bangor ($50,000); Cultural Resources, Inc., Rockport, ($25,000); Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, Old Town ($50,000); Portland Concert Association, Portland ($25,000); and Portland Symphony Orchestra, Portland ($25,000).
There is approximately $120,000 in Recovery Act funding still available from the Maine Arts Commission, through a September deadline. The same terms apply to this second round of grants; most notably applicants must have had a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts or Maine Arts Commission since 2005, and no applications will be accepted for development staff. As this is a second round of grants there are some important additional stipulations: applicants who were not funded in the first round can request that their original applications be considered again; those who were not funded in the first round can apply for a new position; those who were funded in the first round can reapply for a different position; or any new organization that fits the requirements can apply.
The Recovery Act money available from the Maine Arts Commission is presented in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and offers funds to subsidize the preservation of jobs within nonprofit arts organizations. The funding is intended for organizations that have suffered critical staffing cuts or can provide proof that an important existing position is in jeopardy, or have compelling reasons why the retention of a creative worker is vital to the health of the organization. This includes the employment or commissioning of creative workers to make work in support of an organization's mission only when the initiative can show that it is in long-term planning stages. No funds will be made available for the creation of new or previously unscheduled work.
Eligible applicants for this funding source must be a legally established nonprofit organization in Maine which has tax exempt status 501(c)(3) from the Internal Revenue Service. The organization must promote, present, produce and/or teach visual, performing literary or traditional art(s) as its primary purpose and must have completed and filed all final reports required for previously awarded Maine Arts Commission grants. A record of consistent tardiness with final reports may jeopardize an organization's ability to receive a grant under the Maine Arts Recovery Act.
If you are unsure of your status, or need further assistance with the process, you are encouraged to contact Kathy Ann Shaw at 207/287-2750, 877/887-3878 TTY/NexTalk User ID: kathy.shaw or kathy.shaw@maine.gov. Full details of the Recovery Act grant can be found by visiting www.MaineArts.com.
For more information:
Contact: Darrell Bulmer
Phone: 207/287-6746
email: darrell.bulmer@maine.gov
WWW: mainearts.com
