Title
Approval of the 2023 Grants to Arts and Culture Organizations
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
The Arts Commission recommends approval of grants to area arts and culture organizations for 2023.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve grants to area arts and culture organizations for 2023, as recommended by the Arts Commission.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve grants to arts and culture organizations for 2023.
Staff Contact:
Stephanie Johnson, Arts Program Manager, Parks, Arts & Recreation, 360.709.2678.
Presenter(s):
Stephanie Johnson, Parks, Arts & Recreation
Jim Burlingame, Chair, Arts Commission
Background and Analysis:
The intent of the Grants to Arts and Culture Organizations (GACO) program is to provide equitable access to the arts for all Olympians. The program goal is to fund projects that expand citizen involvement; engage underserved populations; and promote the interests of the broader Olympia community.
The total available funding for this grant period is $20,000. In this fifth year of the program, eleven applications were received, with a total funding request of $47,880.
Commissioners reviewed the applications in advance of the meeting and discussed applications and submitted their rankings during the Arts Commission meeting on November 10. Commissioner Vergotis recused themself from ranking of one of the organizations due to current association. As such, the final ranking was based on the average score of each applicant.
Following tabulation and discussion, Commissioners proposed fully funding the top
four (averaged) proposals: The Bridge Music Project ($4,410), Collaborative Association for Reintegration & Education (CARE) ($5,000), West Central Park Project ($3,965), and Earthbound Productions ($2,130). Commissioners also agreed to reduce the funding request from Arbutus Folk School to $4,495 each to meet the budget of $20,000 available.
The Bridge Music Project | Community Songwriting Workshops for Unde...
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