RAAC awards Mitchell Fund grants of $41,250
The Rappahannock Association for Arts and Community (RAAC) announced 18 grants to Rappahannock County artists and organizations this week.
In keeping with the vision of the Claudia Mitchell Arts Fund, the grants reward and encourage individual artists of all ages and county organizations who are working to foster the arts in Rappahannock. This year’s grants include a diversity of education- al and performance projects, a variety of media, emerging and established artists, professional and institutional development, arts programs within community-based organizations and collaborative projects.
Of the many worthy applications that were received, the following were chosen to be recipients of this year’s Mitchell Fund grants, for a total of $41,250 in grants ranging from $500 to $5,000:
➤ 1000 Faces Mask Theater for production assistance with their public performance in October at Stone Hill ➤ Janet Kerig’s Arts & Crafts Camp for scholarships to the camp ➤ Belle Meade School for their spring 2017 musical theater production ➤ Kevin Bosch for producing the Rappahannock Writing Retreat, a three-day workshop for local writers ➤ Child Care & Learning Center (CCLC) for a weekly music program
for pre-schoolers with songbooks and instruments and for a visiting artist residency
➤ Maeve Ciuba to attend an intensive summer theater arts camp run by Allegro Community School of the Arts in Warrenton
➤ Flourish Root Florals for a series of children’s workshops in floral arts and photography
➤ Goodlife Theater for creating and developing an original puppet show, “Berry Tales,” including audience blueberry picking for the Food Pantry
➤ Joyce Harman for photographing night skies in Rappahannock, developing a basic website and teaching in partnership with RLEP’s Dark Skies Initiative
➤ Headwaters for creating a choir for middle school and high school age students in Rappahannock County Public Schools
➤ Barbara Heile for teaching “spontaneous painting” classes to seniors at the Rappahannock Senior Center
➤ Linda Heimstra for studying oil portrait painting and initiating a portrait series of county notables
➤ Kid Pan Alley for songwriting residencies in eight local schools, inspired by visits to Shenandoah National Park, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service
➤ Donna LaPre for improvements to her fiber arts studio ➤ Mountainside Dance Center for scholarships for young dancers
➤ Roger Piantadosi for documenting Rappahannock artists’ connection to nature through written profiles and videos
➤ Wendi Sirat for a series of three community drum circles at the RAAC Theater
➤ Stone Hill Theatrical Foundation to support theatrical productions during their inaugural year as a non-profit
Over the past four years, RAAC’s Mitchell Fund has given away $110,000 to 42 different artists and organizations in the community.
“The Board and its Mitchell Arts Fund committee are thrilled at the diversity and quality of art-making in the county and are pleased to encourage even more,” said RAAC President Matthew Black. “These artists and organizations align with RAAC’s mission of inspiring art and building community in Rappahannock County.”
New this fall — RAAC and the Mitchell Fund committee will offer a grant preparation workshop for potential 2017 applicants who wish to better understand the fund’s goals and requirements. The 2017 Mitchell Fund grant applications and guidelines will be available in December on RAAC’s website (raac.org), with a submission deadline of March 15, 2017.
The Claudia Mitchell Arts Fund is RAAC’s primary channel for offering financial support to the arts in Rappahannock. It was established with a bequest from the estate of Claudia Mitchell, RAAC’s president for many years and a dedicated supporter of the arts and community. The fund continues to grow through ongoing donations, fundraising events and income generated by RAAC programs, principally its annual artists tour and film festival. To learn more or to make a direct contribution to the fund, visit .raac.org and click on Mitchell Arts Fund.