Several different organizations around the county are already reaping the rewards of applying for one of the Sampson Arts Council’s Grassroot subgrants. The subgrants provide these organizations to develop and produce projects to benefit the citizens throughout the entire county while promoting the arts.
“We as so excited to be able to provide these subgrants again this year,” stressed Kara Donatelli, Sampson Arts Council executive director. “Thankfully the N.C. Arts Council’s Grassroots Arts Program provides us the opportunity to apply for and awarded us the grant so we can continue to assist others with their art projects and enhance the arts program for our county.”
The Grassroot Grant from the N.C. Arts Council is divided equally between the Sampson Arts operational budget and the subgrants given to applicants applying for part of the grant funds available.
“We are grateful to the N.C. Arts Council for providing this funding, but like most funds the amount is dwindling each year. We would like to see more organizations apply for the subgrants so more citizens can receive the benefits from the arts. Thankfully the groups that have received funding in the past have done a fantastic jobs utilizing the money,” asserted Donatelli.
Each year around July or August, applications for the subgrants become available from the Sampson Arts Council. Awards usually are received by October. Applications are reviewed by the grant committee who recommend applicants to the board who approves each recipient.
Since 1977, the N.C. Arts Council’s Grassroots Arts Program has provided N.C. citizens access to quality arts experiences. Using population based formula, the program provides funding for the arts in all 100 counties of the state, primarily through partnerships with local arts councils. Applications are judged on the artistic quality of the proposed program, the community impact of the program, the ability to plan and implement the project, and the stability and fiscal responsibility of the organization.
The Sampson Arts Council has to account for how the funds received from the N.C. Arts Council are utilized with documentation that the money was used by an organization to promote the arts in multicultural and creative ways that are beneficial to the citizens throughout the county. The executive director explained that there was a lot of paperwork involved in the entire grant process but the benefits of promoting the arts in the county were worth every minute of time spent working with the grant.
This years award recipients included: Union Elementary, which will use their grant money to fund a school-wide assembly on the “Art of Nature,” and a third grade art lesson in Japanese fish painting (Gyotaku), by artist Alan Page; to the Sampson County Schools ArtsCamp, which is a week long Summer Art Camp offered to students from Sampson County Schools in grades K-8 — students receive instruction in theater arts, dance, visual arts, art design and music; Sampson County History Museum, which allows artist contracts for Craft Demonstration Day, where local artist demonstrations in quilting, India beadwork, dream catchers, gourd crafting, crocheting, knitting and yarn spinning are provided; The Sampson Community Theatre, which received a subgrant to assist with the production of the musical “Hairspray;” Deliverance Victory Temple Ministry, to present the musical theatre production of “Who’s Loving You?” and finally a subgrant is presented to assist in providing the Class Acts CenterStage program for students across the county at the Sampson County Agri-Exposition Center.
Donatelli shared that each year she attempts to provide a workshop on grant writing which includes the application process for these Grassroots Subgrants and encourages any organization to attend in order to prepare to apply for one of the grants. She stated that the workshop would be held during the summer and to be on the lookout for the announced date and time.
To contact Billy Todd, call 910-592-8137 ext. 117, or e-mail btodd@civitasmedia.com
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