The Oakland County Pioneer & Historical Society. The Detroit Sound Conservancy. The Macomb Center for the Performing Arts.
These Detroit-area arts and cultural organizations join 467 others across the state of Michigan in applying for and receiving nearly $10 million in grants from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, helping to fund their 2021 fiscal year programming.
In total, the MCACA approved $9,168,440 in grant awards for 470 arts and cultural organizations in 58 of Michigan’s 83 counties.
“It is really wonderful to see so many great grant applications,” says Alison Watson, director of MCACA. The MCACA received 597 applications requesting $19,432,218 in total.
“During these tough times, it is a strong affirmation that the field is still vibrant, and the value of our programs is not only recognized, but can contribute to ongoing efforts support vibrancy in our communities throughout the state.”
It’s been a busy year for MCACA. In the beginning months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization awarded $502,400 in Emergency Relief Fund grants to 176 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations throughout the state. An additional 28 organizations were awarded $83,834 in funds leveraged through nonprofit arts partner Arts Midwest.
While some organizations will use the grants to fund their own programs, other organizations are regranting the money through the form of minigrants.
The Anton Art Center in Mt. Clemens has regranted $23,000 to nine arts and cultural organizations and individual artists in Macomb and Oakland counties. That list includes the second annual Macomb Reads Festival, which received $4,000 in operational support; the Pontiac Little Art Theatre, which received $2,000 to fund the First Offenders project; and the Italian Film Festival of Metro Detroit was regranted $4,000 to support the festival, now in its 14th year.
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