Regional Art in the News

 

North Country Cultural Center for the Arts Announces 2013 Decentralization Grant Awards

Funded Programs will take place in Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties

 

Plattsburgh, NY (February 1, 2013) - The North Country Cultural Center for the Arts (NCCCA Arts Center) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2013 Decentralization (DEC) Grant Funding. Twenty one (21) Projects were funded under the “Community Arts Grants” category, seven (7) under the “Arts Education” category and one regional artist was selected for the “Individual Artist” Category. The NCCCA received over thirty (30) requests from the region encompassing all of Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties in Northern New York.

“This was a year of change for arts grants in the North Country,” says Janine Scherline, NCCCA Executive Director. “The additional grant categories, expansion of grant territory and inclusion of an Individual Artist Award involved new complexity for our organization and for our new Grants Coordinator, Kathy Recchia.”

Scherline continued, “Kathy did a wonderful job putting the pieces together in short order and getting the word out to regional artists, arts organizations and schools. We are delighted with the array of exciting arts programs that will be taking place throughout 2013 though DEC funding and we hope the community will come out and support those events too.”

“It’s been an exciting and busy time,” according to the DEC Coordinator out of the NCCCA office. Kathleen Recchia went on to say that, “with more than 30 applications submitted for consideration, members from the panels had some tough decisions to make.” Recchia explained further, “But each member did his or her research and after much deliberation, the applications were scored and awards recommended.”

The following grants were awarded for 2013:

Community Arts Grants were awarded for 21 projects in organizations from all 3 counties:

Adirondack Wind Ensemble, Clinton

Piano by Nature, Essex

Adirondack Youth Orchestra, Clinton

Tahawus Lodge Center and Onstage, Essex

ROTA, Clinton

Champlain Valley Voices, Clinton

Foothills Art, Franklin

Ballard Park Concert Series, Essex

Ticonderoga Museum, Essex

Ticonderoga Guild Arts, Essex

Town of Keene, Essex

Tara Mulvey Youth Theatre, Essex

Chateaugay Children’s Theatre, Franklin

Ticonderoga Historical Society, Essex

Hobofest, Franklin

Saranac Lake ArtWorks, Franklin County

Champlain Valley Film Society, Essex

Rouses Point Dodge Memorial Library, Clinton

Whallonsburg Grange, Essex

Arts Education Grants were awarded to 7 teaching artists in all 3 counties:

Nadia Korths, Franklin

Grace Potthast, Essex

Sheri Amsel, Essex

Elizabeth Lee, Essex

Amy Guglielmo, Clinton

Bucky Seiden, Clinton

Adrian Carr, Franklin

Individual Artist Award was awarded to Helen Demong of Saranac Lake for her proposal of “Voices of Timbuctoo: An Abolition Oratorio.”

The Awards Ceremony will take place at the NCCCA Arts Center on Friday evening, March 8th.

The NCCCA Arts Center is open to visitors Tuesday through Friday, 10am - 5pm and Saturdays, 10am - 4pm. For a complete listing of DEC funded projects, please visit the NCCCA Arts Center’s website at: www.plattsburgharts.org

For more information on the DEC Grant or the Award Ceremony please contact Kathleen Recchia at  518-563-1604  or e-mail: grants@plattsburgharts.org

Massena Artists Association Juried Show Winners


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Chris Jay (left) receives the Best of Show award in the Massena Artists Association's 28th Annual Juried Art Exhibit from Vern Mauk (right),  Art Educator and MAA Charter Member.

 


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"The Frog Prince" an Acrylic Painting by Chris Jay, was awarded Best of Show in the Massena Artists Associatin's 28th Annual Juried Art Exhibit.  The Exhibit contains over 100 pieces of artwork by 57 local and regional artists.  It will remain on display at the Massena Public Library through Friday, March 1.

 

You Can Help Protect the Work of Charities in the "Fiscal Cliff" Deal 

  

The New York Times and many other sources are reporting that the President and House Speaker are currently in negotiations to instate new limits on Charitable Giving to help avert the fiscal cliff.    


This is just one of the many national and state policies that are trending towards capping all itemized deductions, including the charitable giving incentive, which would further reduce donations and threaten the ability of nonprofits to serve their communities.     

Unless they hear a huge groundswell of opposition immediately, the ability of charitable nonprofits - everything from churches and synagogues to local food banks, cultural groups, Girl Scouts, and United Ways - to raise the funds they need to serve others may be sharply curbed for many years to come.

TAKE ACTION NOW!   

 This policy calls for IMMEDIATE ACTION, but we need you to get involved!Unless there is a response now, these types of limits will have an astounding impact on the charitable donations given to small community based nonprofits.

Here are a couple ways you can get involved:

  • Call the White House ( 202-456-1111  ) and the Speaker ( 202-225-0600 ) RIGHT NOW and give the operator this message:
    • The 28% limit on charitable deductions hurts front-line charities serving people in need. Don't hurt the helpers. Don't limit charitable deductions! 
    • Give your name, city, and state, and tell what the charitable deduction means to the work you do or the services you rely on.
  • Tweet about it! @WhiteHouse and @SpeakerBoehner telling them not to limit charitable deductions.  

 Consider this sample Tweet: @WhiteHouse @SpeakerBoehner - Capping charitable deductions hurts communities. Say no to 28% limit! #protectgiving

  •  Forward this message to everyone you know who cares about the work of your nonprofit, the services you provide, and the people you serve. That means forward this email to all of your co-workers, board members, volunteers, clients, people served, and colleagues with other nonprofits in your community. 

 

The White House Comment Line operates from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern. Call now and forward this message. If the lines are busy, please keep trying! 

 

Go to www.GiveVoice.org or www.councilofnonprofits.org for more information about the threat to the charitable giving incentive and what you can do.
  

 

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT REVOLVING LOAN FUND

Guidelines 2012 ‐ 2013

The Musical Instrument Revolving Loan Fund (MIRLF) was created by legislation in 1983. MIRLF is a low‐interest loan programdesigned to stimulate the artistic growth and productivity of professional musicians in symphonies/ensembles; students ofmusic instruction; and other cultural organizations by making loans available for eligible nonprofit organizations to purchase musical instruments. Financed directly by the New York State Legislature and administered by New York State Council on the

Arts, MIRLF makes loans charging 3% interest which are repayable over a period of up to eight years. An applicant may apply for all or a portion of the cost of the instrument(s). Other income supporting the purchase is not required but is encouraged.

Please address questions and inquiries about MIRLF to Robert Baron, rbaron@nysca.org or Rita Putnam, rputman@nysca.org.

 

 

Each month we bring the Thousand Islands to you -

no matter where you are.

 

This February issue has thirteen articles,  125+ photographs, essays, nature features, important historical information and small tributes to the late Myrna Clark (of the "Canadian Empress", Kingston) and William "Bill" Browning (who donated Ironsides Island to the Nature Conservancy). 

 

Your February 2013 issue of Thousand Islands Life is now online.

 

http://www.thousandislandslife.com