Matt Lesser

Sen. Lesser Welcomes Over $200K in Grants for Local Cultural and Arts Organizations

Today, State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) is excited to welcome 24 CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grants totaling $209,100 for various museums, performing arts venues, historical societies, and other cultural and arts organizations across his district. These grants awarded by CT Humanities to organizations locally and across Connecticut were funded the Connecticut General Assembly. The grants make up part of $30.7 million allocated over the 2022-2023 biennium by the state legislature to support CT Humanities’ mission of connecting people to cultural and humanities organizations via grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs.

“The arts and humanities make vital contributions to our communities. Job and business growth, youth mental health, and thriving neighborhoods to name a couple,” said Sen. Lesser. “It’s encouraging to see the investment that my legislative colleagues and I have made in CTHumanities’ work and the creative economy lead to this substantial package of grants awarded to organizations in my district and across Connecticut.”

A previous December 2021 distribution of funding to 632 organizations was found to have benefited job retention and growth, support K-12 education, and technology and digital improvements, according to CT Humanities. More specifically, 88% of the 632 organizations awarded funds in that 2021 distribution used the funding to hire and keep employees.

Local grant recipients in this latest round of grants awarded are as follows:

Middletown

• ARTFARM – $5,900
• Artists for World Peace – $15,500
• Connecticut Library Consortium – $5,000
• Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet – $8,700
• Godfrey Memorial Library – $9,000
• Middlesex County Historical Society – $6,500
• Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater – $16,300
• Resonant Motion, Inc. – $5,600
• The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center – $6,800
• The Greater Middletown Military Museum – $5,500
• Wesleyan Potters – $16,000

Cromwell

• GMChorale – $7,800

Newington

• Capital Classics Theatre Company – $6,400
• Newington Art League – $5,000
• Newington Children’s Theatre Company – $10,300
• Newington Historical Society and Trust, Inc. – $6,000

Rocky Hill

• Connecticut Chopin Foundation – $5,600
• Rocky Hill Historical Society – $5,300

Wethersfield

• The Archaeological Society of Connecticut – $5,100
• Time’s Fool Company – $5,600
• Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum – $24,900
• Wethersfield Academy for the Arts – $7,400
• Wethersfield Historical Society – $13,900