DECEMBER 22, 2014- TRAVERSE CITY ---  Fourteen arts & cultural groups from five counties in northwest Michigan have been approved for minigrant funds through the Michigan Council for the Arts & Cultural Affairs (MCACA) Regranting Program for local projects  and professional development planned between January 1 and September 30, 2015.  The organizations will share $30,900 in total funding.  An additional $3,100 will be awarded for organizational development in February 2015, for a total of $34,000 in minigrant support. The MCACA regrant program is administered locally through NorthSky Nonprofit Network in Traverse City.  

Regional organizations receiving minigrant project grant awards include:

• TBA-ISD for Arts for All Celebration with Artists Creating Together (ACT-TC) (Grand Traverse)
• Archipelago Project for its Archipelago Summer Music Camp (Grand Traverse)
• Art Rapids for Walk of Art (Antrim)
• Charlevoix Historical Society for the Wizard of Boulder Park video documentary (Charlevoix)
• Cherry Capital Men's Chorus for Community Outreach Concerts (Grand Traverse)
• Darcy Library of Beulah for its Off the Page Writers Series (Benzie)
• Encore Winds for its 25th Season of Encore Society Music (Grand Traverse)
• Friends of Fine Arts at Suttons Bay Schools for Art Enrichment Programs (Leelanau)
• Glen Arbor Art Association for Manitou Music Festival's Dune Climb Family Concert (Leelanau)
• Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum for a Lake Michigan Aircraft Carriers exhibition (Leelanau)
• Mancelona Public Schools for Jazz Outreach & Community Outreach (Antrim)
• Northwest Michigan Ballet Theatre for Whither Thou Goest:  Story of Ruth Ballet (Grand Traverse)

Organizations receiving minigrants for professional and organizational development include:

• Great Lakes Children's Museum (Grand Traverse)
• Historic Vogue Theatre of Manistee (Manistee)

MCACA regranting goals are to address arts & cultural needs, increase public access to arts and culture, build capacity and support projects that preserve, produce or present traditional or contemporary arts and culture.   The grants are funded by the State of Michigan through the Michigan Arts and Cultural Affairs and administered through 10 regional districts.  NorthSky is administering Region 2 funding for Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee and Wexford counties. 

In addition to minigrant funding, MCACA awarded $732,495 to 25 large organizations in the ten county region for operational and project support, facilities and equipment improvements and arts in education.  Regional recipients by county include:

• Antrim, $4,500: Institute for Sustainable Living, Art and Natural Design;
• Benzie, $38,750:  Elizabeth Lane Oliver Center for the Arts, Michigan Legacy Art Park;
• Charlevoix, $58,500:  Beaver Island Cultural Arts Association, Raven Hill Discovery Center, Boyne Falls Public Schools;
• Emmet, $144,260:    Crooked Tree Arts Center, Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra, Bay View Music Festival, Contemporary Learning Services, Mackinaw City Arts Council, Voices Without Borders;
• Grand Traverse, $431,485: City Opera House, Great Lakes Children's Museum, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Music House Museum, Northwestern Michigan College/Dennos Museum Center, Old Town Playhouse, Parallel 45, Inc., Rotary Charities of Traverse City (Regrant), SEEDS, Traverse Symphony Orchestra;
• Leelanau, $31,000:  Leelanau Community Cultural Center, Chamber Music North;
• Manistee, $24,000:  Historic Vogue Theatre.

A listing of all MCACA grant recipients is available on the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs website at: http://www.michiganbusiness.org/cm/Files/MCACA/FY15_Funding_Plan_By_County.pdf

For questions or notification of future arts funding information, please contact Mary Bevans Gillett, regrant coordinator, at 231-883-8388 or mgillett@chartermi.net.

NorthSky Nonprofit Network is a program of Rotary Charities and supports the work of the nonprofit sector through advocacy, capacity building, and sustainability support.  Its mission is to build strong communities by helping nonprofit organizations achieve and sustain excellence.