CITY GRANTS HELP ARTS, CULTURE

Reader appreciates ABQ’s support during pandemic.

I’D LIKE TO do a shout-out to Mayor Tim Keller and the city of Albuquerque’s Cultural Services Department for their dedication to helping us keep the arts and culture of this lovely city alive during a difficult period.

Nonprofit arts organizations have taken a big hit overall, as we cannot meet in person, we cannot perform before large crowds, and isolation is turning ... (many) to focusing on television as their primary entertainment.

The city has reached out to many of our locally-based groups and set up grants to help tide us through the pandemic. SouthWest Writers aims to help anyone who is wanting to be an author learn everything from writing basics to pitching to a publisher. We cannot meet in public anymore, but the grant we received from the city helps us continue our mission through Zoom meetings and other electronic media.

The grant is covering presentations by nationally known authors such as David Morrell — “Rambo,” “First Blood” — Natalie Goldberg, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Darynda Jones, David Robbins and many more this year. These Zoom presentations are free to the public. Anyone wanting to know more can go to our website www.southwestwriters.com

Thank you, Mayor Keller and to Cultural Services employees Sherri Bruegemann and Isabelle Zamora for working hard to keep the arts alive and vital to the community.