The Columbus Arts Council has been awarded a $21,750 operating grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission. This grant is a portion of the $1.5 million in grants the Commission will award in 2009-2010 and will be used to supplement funds for salaries, funding day-to-day operations, and funds for special event programming.
The grants are made possible by continued funding from the Mississippi State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.
“Organizations across the state who receive grants from the Mississippi Arts Commission continue to prove that arts programs are vital to the growth of their area. The grants awarded by the Commission provide funding for the staging of festivals, theatre performances and many other arts-related activities,” said Malcolm White, MAC executive director. “Communities across this state are also learning the effect the arts have on the education of their children. Arts-based activities have a proven positive impact on at-risk youth and children enrolled in after-school programs.”
The Columbus Arts Council was organized in 1965 and incorporated in 1971 with a mission “to present, promote and support the arts and arts education.” The CAC primarily serves Columbus and Lowndes County, but annual programming draws people from Northeast Mississippi and Northwest Alabama
The CAC offers arts-based community development programs, re-grants to local arts organizations and promotion and ticketing services for other local arts groups. The CAC also offers quality arts programming to the area through the Rosenzweig Arts Center Gallery Series, the Concert and Artist Series featuring professional touring productions, the Omnova Theatre Music Series, the Columbus Community Theatre, the Young People”s Artist Series and workshops in the local schools, Summer Arts Camp and Art Underground, which features classes in everything from guitar to pottery to belly dancing.
The Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, serves the residents of the state by providing grants that support programs to enhance communities; assist artists and arts organizations; promote the arts in education and celebrate Mississippi”s cultural heritage. Established in 1968, the Mississippi Arts Commission is funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Wallace Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation, Donna and Jim Barksdale, the Phil Hardin Foundation, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson and other private sources. The agency serves as an active supporter and promoter of arts in community life and in arts education.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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