Gary Winfield

New Haven Legislators Welcome $38K in State Grants for City Arts

Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven), Senator Gary Winfield (D-New Haven), and other local state legislators today announced 11 arts organizations in the New Haven area that received state grants, including a nearly $14,000 award for the International Festival of Arts & Ideas.

Ten organizations in New Haven and one in Hamden were awarded the Department of Economic & Community Development’s Office of the Arts’ annual Connecticut Arts Endowment Fund grant; $38,865 for the programs altogether.

“New Haven is home to a vibrant artistic and cultural community,” Senator Looney said. “These grants will help bolster our thriving, vibrant local artistic organizations that contribute to the social fabric that helps make New Haven a great place to live.”

“In a time when people in this city, especially our youth, are craving to share their voice and be heard, art is vital to the pulse of our community,” Senator Winfield said. “Whether it’s music, painting, graphic design, or dance, funding these programs will ensure that the arts continue to be an indispensable component of New Haven.”

New Haven recipients include: International Festival of Arts & Ideas, $13,939; Neighborhood Music School, $6,791; New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Inc., $5,708; Artspace, Inc., $2,960; Shubert Theater/CAPA, $2,582; Elm Shakespeare Company, $2,308; New Haven Chorale, Inc., $2,164; Site Projects Inc., $1,016; New Haven Ballet, $897; New Haven Folk, Inc., $500.

“The International Festival of Arts & Ideas is committed to breaking down as many barriers as possible to attract the broadest audience to New Haven. To that end, 80 percent of the more than 200 events at Festival 2017 are absolutely free,” Arts & Ideas’ Chad Herzog said on behalf of his fellow Co-Interim Executive Directors Liz Fisher and Tom Griggs. “That commitment is made possible in large part by the generous support from the state of Connecticut. We’re grateful to Senators Looney and Winfield and all in state leadership positions who recognize the value of the arts in our community.”

“New Haven is a city of the arts,” Representative Alphonse Paolillo (D-New Haven) said. “Our vibrant arts community is a major ingredient in what makes New Haven such a special place to live and work. I am extremely pleased that the state is investing in local arts organizations.”

“I’m thrilled that both towns in the district I represent received state funding for local arts organizations as arts play an instrumental part in our community and provide an outlet for people of all ages to express themselves,” Representative Robyn Porter (D-New Haven, Hamden) said. “These communities are filled with museums, music schools, dancing schools, and theatres, and I am proud that these organizations are getting the recognition and funding they deserve.”

The Eli Whitney Museum in Hamden was awarded $1,779.

“Arts are a reason one place has a higher quality of life than another. They are what connects us. If we stop investing in the arts, in our culture, we stop investing in what makes us human.” said Representative Josh Elliott (D-Hamden) said. “That is why I am delighted that the Eli Whitney Museum has received this art grant. This museum enriches the lives of the Hamden community and provides local students, families, and children of all ages the exciting opportunity to learn about history through experimental learning workshops.”

“Neighborhood Music School is honored to be among the great New Haven organizations selected to receive funding through the Arts Endowment. The arts are good for our economy, good for our communities, and good for our souls,” said Dan Gurvich, Executive Director of Neighborhood Music School. “At a time when arts funding, and our shared values, are under attack nationally, we are heartened by Connecticut’s ongoing commitment to its cultural treasures.”

The Connecticut Arts Endowment Fund rewards organizations that have raised more than $15,000 in private contributions for two consecutive fiscal years. A total of 114 grants ($397,354) were awarded throughout the state this year.

The Connecticut Arts Endowment Fund (CAEF) was established by the State of Connecticut to stimulate the development of private sector funding and help stabilize arts institutions.

Grants are determined by mathematical formula per C.G.S. Section 10-407. These funds are not from the General Fund, but a stand-alone investment fund managed by the State Treasurer’s Office. The interest earned on the Fund is distributed annually to qualifying organizations. Funds may be used for capital projects, operations, programming, or to build their own endowments.

“New Haven Ballet is eternally grateful for the support it receives through grants like the CT Arts Endowment Fund, which helps make need based scholarships, outreach programs for underserved and differently abled students, free admission to performances, and professional classical ballet training and performance opportunities available to the 400-plus students at New Haven Ballet,” said New Haven Ballet Artistic Director Lisa Sanborn. “Arts based education is critical for our students and we thank you for helping us make magic happen for so many children and families throughout the New Haven community.”