Effort launched to aid struggling arts groups - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Now the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts partof , has launched a $2.5 million initiative to help the region’x small and midsized arts groups weather the difficult Already, the fund has raised $1.8 millionn of the $2.5 milliojn goal, with the providing the largest contribution of $1.5 The other donors includde the Kendeda Fund, the Zeist Foundation and Bank of The remaining $700,000 is expected to be raise d in the next six months. The Atlantaw Arts Recovery initiative is allowing the Metr o Arts Fund to double its annual grants to cultural organizations from itsnorma $500,000 to $1 million.
The fund is announcinvg grants to 11 arts groups in six countiezs for a total of Inthe fall, the fund will make another rounrd of $500,000 grants, the first time the fund has given two roundxs of funds in one year. It planes to do two rounds in 2010as well. The fund also is able to provid more loans and financial assistancw toarts groups. “Our aim now is to support these organizations through a tough economic time becauserthey don’t have any said Lisa Cremin, director of the Arts Since 1993, the Arts Fund has given more than $7 million in grantd to 84 arts The current grant recipientsa are Actor’s Express, $60,000; Atlanta Celebrates Photography, $20,000; Atlanta Chamber $10,000; the Cultural Arts Center of Douglasville/Douglad County, $25,000; Dad’s Garage Theatre $45,000; Georgia Shakespeare, $50,000; the , $70,000; the Quinlan Visual Arts Center, $40,000; Theatre in the Square, , $75,000; and the Youtu Ensemble of Atlanta, $30,000.
“We were screaming and dancing,” said Raye managing director of Theatre in the when she heard aboutthe $75,000 “It was a happy The grant is enabling the theater, now in its 28th to balance its 2009 fiscal year, which ends in June. But Varneuy said she still has “a giant gap in my 2010 — a $400,000 gap. “I can’t take that to my Varney said. She said she is looking at ways to cut costsd andincrease revenue. “We are already operating with a thirdless staff.
” Kenny founding artistic director of True Colors Theatre Company, said the grant also helps fill a gap for his “We have been able to make payrol l every week, but we are two or three weeks away from beinvg able to do that,” Leon “I feel grateful for the trust that the fund has giveh us. It’s pretty amazing we’ve been here eigh t years now.” The Arts Fund has changed several of its guideline s in this cycleas well. Now arts organizations with a budget of upto $2 million qualify for compared with $1.5 million last year.
the grants can be applied to the general operating budget rather than for specific programsor “What they saw in this economy was that what organizations reall y needed was money that went to the bottonm line, money to pay the light bill, money to pay the rent and moneuy to pay salaries,” Varney said. Robergt W. Woodruff Foundation President Russ Hardin said smallerr arts organizations needed an infusion of All nonprofits, including arts organizations, have to recko n with this difficult economic environment,” Hardin “Our notion is that over the next couplw of years, arts organizations have to adjust to a new What a way to say Stuart Gulley, outgoing president of , is announcin g that the college has surpassed its $65 million “Defining Moment” fundraising goal.
The major project fundexd by the campaign was the buildingg ofthe college’s new 45,000-square-foot Franko and Laura Lewis Library. Among the top donations were $6 million from the ; $2.5 million from the Lettie Pate Whitehead and $3 million from an anonymous Atlanta Gulley is leaving LaGrange College to become the new presiden t of the Woodward Academy. Dan ’s provost, will beginh his job as the 25th president of LaGrang Collegein July.