Community Arts Access Grants

The McLean County Arts Center, in its role as the Regranting Agency for McLean County on behalf of the Illinois Art Council, announces that application for Arts Grants are now available to local agencies offering Arts Programming.

The McLean County Arts Center is the local arts agency designated by the to re-grant state dollars from the Illinois Arts Council. Committee members involved with this year’s selection process were: Sherilyn McElroy, Associate Professor of Art at Illinois Wesleyan University; Tony San Filippo, Oxide Lounge Recording Studio; Drake Zimmerman of First Allied Securities; and Kevin Strandburg, Professor of Art at Illinois Wesleyan University.

These awards are for requested items or program needs and range from musical instruments to theater costumes and funding for performances.

The completed form and the requested supporting documents are due to our office by February 13th.

Upon the meeting of the independent Regranting Committee we expect to notify all applicants of the committee’s decisions by March 6, 2008. Those organizations that receive granting dollars must complete their final reports by October 1, 2008 or within three weeks of the completion of the funded program, whichever occurs first.

Please note the stipulations attached to these grants, as detailed in the application materials. An information session will be held at the Arts Center on January 22, 2008. These meetings will provide an overview of the grant process and discuss past criteria for successful applications and their reporting.

The McLean County Arts Center is located at 601 N. East Street in downtown Bloomington. MCAC hours are Tuesday, 10am – 7pm; Wednesday – Friday, 10am – 5pm, and Saturday, Noon – 4pm. For more information, please call 309/829-0011 or visit www.mcac.org. The McLean County Arts Center is supported in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

Organization	Award	Program Description
Bloomington High School	$800	Voices: between the lines- a literary magazine featuring art, poetry and prose works by students. Received highest award from NCTE in previous years.
Bloomington Junior High Art Department	$760	Mrs. Cinkovich’ s arts students in grade 6, 7 and 8 will learn the constructs of building and assessing an art exhibit. The students will take a bus trip to the Art Institute of Chicago to analyze the art exhibits.
Bloomington Parks & Recreation Department	$936	Summer art program: 24 art classes for youth ages 4-14 with 5 free programs for all ages
Downtown Bloomington Association – Downtown Bloomington Farmers’ Market	$800	The farmers' market hosts 20 live music performances. They are seeking funding to cover the $50 stipend they provide for each performance
Heartland Theatre Company	$1,500	Young at Heartland, a program created by seniors for seniors. In YAH, area seniors form a theatre troupe- select, rehearse, and perform one-act plays. All performances are free. The classroom program focuses on training techniques for relaxation, encouraging creativity, developing observation, concentration, listening and memorization skills.
Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Inc	$1,250	Requesting support for the Share the Music Program, which recycles used musical instruments to provide affordable instrument rentals to economically disadvantaged students in the B-N area. Collaboration with the ISO, Pratt Music Foundation and the Music Shoppe.
Prairie Fire Theatre	$1,954	Performance of "Little Red's Day Off" for tour of 22 elementary schools, with 7 more unconfirmed. Two free public performances are planned
Totals	$8,000

Organization	Award	Program Description
McLean County Dance Association	$250	McLean County Dance Association School Gala: End of the year performances by ballet, jazz, hip-hop, modern classes and two performing companies on June 2-3.
Children’s Discovery Museum	$400	Japan and Nature: Spirit of the Seasons: A traveling exhibit of 4 interactive areas each portraying a season and regional setting in Japan, designed to highlight cultural diversity within the community. Each week a different member of the Japanese or Asian community will demonstrate artistic skill through hands on projects dealing with one of the four seasons.
The Baby Fold- Hammitt High School	$400	By engaging students in a truly creative process – art, a skilled facilitator can provide interaction with students that is an interpersonal exchange and reaches far beyond the typical “art activity” provided in the traditional school setting. The Therapeutic Art Specialist provides students with additional avenues through which the students can learn to express themselves, reduce anger, show their inner self and feelings to others, and be comfortable and secure in making an emotional exchange.
Heartland Jazz Orchestra Foundation, Inc	$500	Chuchito Valdes: Performance by the Heartland Jazz Orchestra followed by a performance of musician Chuchito Valdes and his band. Program is on September 7 and coincides with Hispanic Awareness month.
McLean County Museum of History	$500	By partnering with the McLean County Art Center the museum hopes to provide develop two art workshops that coincide with their show of 125 19^th century prints by William Henry and Joseph, Jr. The first workshop being more child-friendly while the second focuses on the techniques of water-color painting for adults.
Community Players Theatre	$500	Studio Show: The Woman in Black: Seeking funds to assist in the production of the show that is separate from their regular season. It is aimed at providing variety for volunteers and artists at the theatre. The show will run from October 25-28.
Downtown Bloomington Association – Downtown Bloomington Farmers’ Market	$800	Downtown Bloomington Farmers’ Market & Artists’ Alley: 20 artists or groups to perform at the Farmer’s Market. Group is seeking grant money for $50 stipend allotted for each performance.
Prairie Fire Theatre	$850	The Billy Goats Gruff: Performance of the one-act opera on an elementary school tour consisting of 24-30 schools and two free performances at the Normal Library and The Children’s Discovery Museum.
Bloomington Normal Youth Symphony	$1,200	Fall Orchestra Workshop/Clinic: Teachers and musicians are invited to work with students and give professional advice on technique and music students are currently working on. The group is looking specifically for a musician or ensemble that reflects particular ethnic culture to offer different musical perspectives for students.
Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Inc	$1,250	Share the Music: In conjunction with the Pratt Music Foundation and The Music Shoppe. This group will manage the operating aspects of a program designed to collect and refurbish used and unwanted instruments and supply them to music students in need. It is seeking the grant money to offset the administrative costs of the program.
Autism Society of McLean County	$1,450	Children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder will meet March 5-9 at a given location to paint with water colors on paper or acrylic on canvass. In April as a part of Autism Awareness month this art will be featured throughout local businesses and on May 4 be auctioned for fund raising purposes to aid a resource center for families in Central Illinois dealing with autism.
Heartland Theatre Company	$1,500	Young At Heartland: Theatre by and for Seniors in Central Illinois: Free one-act plays and selections developed by a troupe of seniors (55+) and performed for seniors at seniors’ activity programs. The program is focused on sharing the talent of those who would otherwise feel compelled to stop acting because of their age.

Amounts designated in 2006:
Community Players Theater	$270
Illinois Wesleyan University Art Galleries	$300
McLean County Dance Association	$400
McLean County Museum of History	$550
Holy Trinity Catholic School	$580
Uniquely Bloomington	$800
Baby Fold	$1,000
Heartland Theatre Company	$1,050
Normal Theater	$1,050
Bloomington Normal Youth Symphony	$1,400
Prairie Fire Theatre	$1,400
Academy for Music and the Arts	$1,800
Total Granting Dollars	$10,600

Prairie Central School District	$150
Twin Cities Ballet & School of Dance	$250
Heartland Jazz Orchestra	$340
Bloomington Normal Youth Symphony	$372
McLean County Dance Association	$400
Illinois Symphony Orchestra	$500
Uniquely Bloomington	$550
Academy for Music and the Arts at Second Presbyterian Church	$580
Community Players Theater	$600
Normal Theater	$600
YWCA of McLean County,	$600
Illinois State University School of Music (Opera)	$650
Bloomington Parks and Recreation Dept.	$688
Holy Trinity Catholic School	$700
Prairie Fire Theatre	$750
Illinois Theatre Consortium	$1,100
Heartland Theatre Company	$1,250

McLean County Parks and Rec	$100
McLean County Historical Society	$200
Center for Book Culture	$250
Bloomington Parks and Rec	$300
Community Players	$300
Illinois State University- Concerts on the Quad	$300
Illinois Wesleyan University Art Galleries	$300
Illinois Symphony Orchestra	$350
Grand Village of the Kickapoo	$377.50
McLean County Dance Association	$388
Prairie Fire Theater	$650
B-N Youth Symphony	$750
Children’s Discovery Museum	$772
Normal Theater	$800
Illinois Theater Consortium	$1,000
Heartland Theater	$1,100
Fresh Bread Productions	$1,500

Academy for Music and the Arts