Idaho Commission on the Arts details grants

BOISE — The Idaho Commission on the Arts has announced its Fiscal Year 2019 annual grants, totaling $544,003 to 71 organizations and schools spanning 27 communities throughout the state. Organizations and schools receiving grants will match their awards with locally-generated funds.

Executive Director Michael Faison expressed appreciation to Idaho’s elected officials for their continued support for the Commission’s statewide programs. “Thanks to Governor Otter and the Idaho Legislature, the Idaho Commission on the Arts is able to provide grants that support arts participation and access to our unique cultural heritage in every region of our state.”

“Excellence is a defining characteristic of a civilized society,” Idaho Commission on the Arts Chair Kay Hardy said in announcing the grants. “With these grants the Commission recognizes the excellence of individual artists, community-based arts organizations, and school arts programs throughout Idaho. In our democracy, we engage in activities that reflect our cultural traditions and artistic visions for the future.”

Arts Education Project grants provide funding for activities that unite effective practices in education and in the arts, and that involve schools, artists, and community organizations.

According to ICA officials, the grants support teaching and learning opportunities for pre-K through grade 12.

In Bonner and Boundary counties, Bonners Ferry High School, Boundary County School District #101 in Bonners Ferry received a $4,749 grant; and the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint, Inc. received a $5,631 grant.

Entry Track grants and Public Programs in the Arts grants provide stable, ongoing support for the arts programs delivered by Idaho’s professional arts organizations.

Funding for these categories strengthens our state culturally and economically, while providing Idahoans with the invaluable experiences of performances, gallery exhibits, special events, and workshops in all disciplines. Successful applicants demonstrated exceptional artistic merit, clearly defined management, and the public value of their work.

For Entry Track grants in Bonner and Boundary counties, Arts Alliance, Inc. (DBA: Creations for Sandpoint) of Sandpoint received a $4,224 grant and the the Panida Theater Committee, Inc. of Sandpoint received a $5,295 grant.

In the Public Programs in the Arts category, receiving grants were The Festival at Sandpoint, Inc., which received a $9,880 grant and the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint, which received a $5,832 grant.

The Idaho Commission on the Arts is the official state agency for the support and development of the arts in Idaho.

The Commission promotes excellence, education in the arts, access to the arts, and community investment in the arts. Its professional staff administers and develops the programs and services of the agency, assists grant applicants, and provides technical assistance.