Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga And Wilkes County Arts Organizations Share Over $163,000 In Grants From North Carolina Arts Council

The North Carolina Arts Council will invest $163,175 in Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga and Wilkes Counties during 2006-2007, according to Jessica Orr, Communications Manager with the Council..
In announcing the grant allocations, the Arts Council’s statewide contribution to the arts during the coming year will total in excess of $6,589,660 - with distribution covering 390 grants to 281 grantees. That total includes $1 million in non-recurring funds for the Grassroots Arts Program and $650,000 in non-recurring funds for general support organizations.
Sixteen awards were made in the four counties of Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga and Wilkes.
Blowing Rock Stage Company was one of four agencies funded under 2006-07 awards. Considered one of the state’s most outstanding professional theatre companies, Blowing Rock Stage will receive a general operating support grant of $25,000, and another $2,500 toward production expenses for producing Bob Inman’s Dairy Queen Days this past fall.
Appalachian State University received two grants, a $3,000 award for the Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series, and $7,500 for Arts and Cultural Programs in their Performing Arts Series.
Horn in the West was awarded a total of $7,500 for general operating support, and the Watauga Arts Council received a total of $36,545 in three grants - $13,200 for a folklorist position for the second year, $10,000 for their traditional Arts Programs in School as part of their Junior Appalachian musicians program, and $16,345 for various arts programs and subgrants.
Ashe County received four arts grants totaling $29,574 to cover various arts programs and subgrants, support for JAM, their Appalachian Musicians Program, support for their “On the ‘Write’ Track program, and support for their Community Concert Series.
Alleghany was awarded $14,740 for its Junior Appalachian Musicians program and to cover various arts programs and subgrants.
Wilkes County’s allocation was $25,816 to cover support for X Factor Dance Company's production of a Ten-Year Retrospective Concert and the commissioning of a dance work by choreographer Hilary Benedict, and to support various arts programs and subgrants.
“We estimate that last year, more than thirteen million people participated in projects funded by the Arts Council including children’s programs, arts exhibitions, performances and projects at senior centers.,” said Mary B. Regan, executive director of the North Carolina Arts Council. “We are grateful to the General Assembly for their funding support.”
Building a better state through the arts, the Arts Council develops more vibrant communities, creative and productive citizens and cultural vitality in everyday lives. Through a combination of grant programs, partnerships and services for nonprofit organizations, school, communities and individual artists, the Arts Council build and encourages excellence in arts programming and services and promotes access, diversity and education of the arts to the citizens of the state.
In acknowledging the support received from the N.C. Arts Council, the Stage Company’s Artistic Producing Director Kenneth Kay said the grants were particularly meaningful in two area.
“First the financial support is vital to our future,” he said. “It challenges us to be more active in our fund raising efforts and garnering support for theatre, because like all arts organizations we find our costs going up every year.
“But secondly,” he said, “is the expression of confidence the state has in our programs for adults and children, and our determination to do what we do for the arts and not for profit. The state’s partnership in our efforts is like a pat on the back for a lot of hard work and efforts, and it certainly not only boost moral for our volunteers but allows us to expand our outreach programming with such programs as TOPs children’s theatre program, New Voices of the South, Flying Solo, etc.”
The N.C. Arts Council helps underscore important public values through three main program areas:
• Communities: The Arts Council acknowledges the importance of the arts in place-based economic development of communities and community identity by assisting in the design and implementation of projects that enhance local arts resources and traditions.
“That certainly describes what we are all about in Blowing Rock and the High Country,” says Kay. “Between our motivation of maintaining the art of performance, there is a terrific positive economic impact on the town and the region.”
• Participation: The Arts Council promotes the benefits of participation in the arts as important to the well-being of citizens and helps arts organization build civic commitment through dance, theater, music, visual arts, literature, festivals and more.
“Our Theatre in School has been a tremendous success this past year, and thanks to the funding from the Arts Council will not only be in a position to continue this program, but enhance it,” Kay said.
And the third of the three main programs, Artists and Organizations: The Arts Council provides service to cultural organizations to build audience and achieve excellence in programming. The Arts Council fosters creative endeavors for the thousands of talented artists in our state by connecting artists to professional development opportunities.
This area of the three main programs also has high priority interest for the Stage Company - both in its desire to provide a stage for local and regional artists, from writers to performers, and its mission to be a stage for locally written and produced plays. In 2007 BRSC will present a new play on the life of Moses Cone and a stage adaptation of Jan Karon’s Mitford series.

Blowing Rock Stage Company has received support from the state since the not-for-profit theatre organization was formed 21 years ago. Most of the funding from the state requires matching funds by raised by the applicant organization, and that has certainly been the history of the Stage Company.

“Typically for each $1 invested by the N.C. Arts Council, we must match by approximately $12 in funds raised by our organization,” Kay says.