Four Gilroy/Morgan Hill arts groups supported by Arts Council
Silicon Valley
A symphony, an orchestra, a mural project and a summer concert
series will all benefit from Arts Council Silicon Valley grants in
2006.
The Arts Council announced they are giving out $362,000 in
grants to 102 arts and cultural groups in 2006, including several
South County groups.
The private nonprofit arts agency has been supporting Silicon
Valley arts organizations since 1982. Since their founding, they
have given out nearly $8 million to local arts and cultural
organizations, individual artists, schools and community groups
throughout Santa Clara County.
Four Gilroy/Morgan Hill arts groups supported by Arts Council Silicon Valley
A symphony, an orchestra, a mural project and a summer concert series will all benefit from Arts Council Silicon Valley grants in 2006.
The Arts Council announced they are giving out $362,000 in grants to 102 arts and cultural groups in 2006, including several South County groups.
The private nonprofit arts agency has been supporting Silicon Valley arts organizations since 1982. Since their founding, they have given out nearly $8 million to local arts and cultural organizations, individual artists, schools and community groups throughout Santa Clara County.
South Valley Symphony received $2,269 to support a performance of the opera “Amahl and the Night Visitors” in collaboration with the Mission City Opera and Winchester Orchestra. The opera tells the story of a crippled shepherd boy and his mother. They are visited by the three wise men searching for the newborn king and tempted by their riches, the mother steals the valuables to help her son.
The South County arts groups applied for grants through the Arts Council’s community art fund. The goal of the fund is to support arts activities that reflect the multicultural region in Santa Clara County. Groups that are community-based, volunteer-driven and work with small budgets can apply for up to $4,000. Along with the four local groups, other 2006 community art grant recipients include the San Jose Jewish Film Festival and the Chinese Orchestra of North America.
“The arts and cultural organizations funded by the Arts Council are truly a reflection of the unique and diverse region we call home,” said Diem Jones, Arts Council Silicon Valley’s director of programs. “I feel honored that we can play a role in ensuring these organizations continue to inspire and nurture this valley’s creative spirit.”
The community art fund grants are project based, such as South Valley Symphony’s $2,000 for the opera performance.
The Theatre Angels Art League received $2,108 to support a series of outdoor summer concerts with the Gilroy Downtown Business Association. Dubbed Fifth Street Live last summer, the series kicked off on June 30 and will continue through Sept. 29.
Fifth Street between Eigleberry and Monterey Streets will be closed off during the Friday night concerts, as a stage is set-up in front of Happy Dog Pizza. The concerts bring people into Downtown Gilroy for a different local band each week – from classic rock to blues to funk. The series launched last year with an abbreviated line up and came up with funding for 12 concerts this summer.
Youth arts groups have also received grants this year, including the South Valley Youth Orchestra and the Art4Service group. The Morgan Hill orchestra will use its $1,869 to train young musicians for a concert that will be presented in December at Gilroy High School.
While Art4Service received their first grant this year, the other three local groups have received more than $8,500 each since 2000.
“It is a very competitive process on how the committee gives the grants,” said Joshua Russell, communications manager for the Council. “In South County, we have had grants workshops open to art groups in the area. They get some training from our staff on the best way to apply for grants.”
Art4Service is a nonprofit organization that works with local school children to create community murals. They will use more than $2,000 for a mural project that will bring together elementary and high school students in Gilroy. The group has worked on community mural projects since 1999. Past murals can be seen in Gilroy at El Roble Elementary School and Mount Madonna Community School, as well as schools or parks in Morgan Hill, San Martin and Hollister.
While they are able to give some money to many of the grant applicants, they do sometimes turn down applications.
“Really everybody is deserving of the funding,” Russell said. “Its just sort of limited resources.”
