Twenty-Nine Local Art Projects and Events Receive Funding with More Than $55K in Arts Alive Grants during ArtsWestchester Award Presentation
State and County Officials Join in Presenting the Awards to Support the Vitality of Arts in Westchester County
White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach declared February 3, 2017 as “Sidra Bell Day” with a formal proclamation. Pictured left to right: Mayor Roach; Claudette Bell, representing Sidra Bell; and New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins (photo credit: Margaret Fox)
WHITE PLAINS – New York State and Westchester County elected officials joined ArtsWestchester on Friday, February 3, 2017 for a ceremony to present $55,440 in Arts Alive grants to 29 local arts projects throughout Westchester County, including those in: White Plains, Greenburgh, Elmsford, Tuckahoe, New Rochelle, Yonkers, Hartsdale, Bronxville, Mount Vernon, Valhalla, Ossining, Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown.
Arts Alive Grants are made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program (DEC), a re-grant program of the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. ArtsWestchester administers these, supporting community-based cultural activities throughout the county, as well as the creation of new work by Westchester artists.
“We are thankful to Governor Cuomo for providing funding to support the arts in our county,” said Janet T. Langsam, CEO of ArtsWestchester. “Without these grants, many of the art events that our community enjoys would not be possible. These events will add to the economic impact in the neighborhoods where we love to live, work and play.”
On Friday, elected officials joined ArtsWestchester’s Board of Trustees for a private breakfast to present Arts Alive grants to 25 organizations and four artists. The breakfast took place at Gallery 9 at ArtsWestchester in White Plains.
This year’s grant recipients represent artistic expression from cultures from around the world in an array of genres. The projects range from a three-day festival of West African Art and an Asian American Heritage Festival to an arts-in-education program, workshops for seniors and cultural music concerts for all to enjoy.
Arts Alive grants are awarded in three categories: Arts Alive Project Grants, which provide Westchester-based organizations and artists with financial and technical support for projects at the grassroots level; and Arts Alive Artist Grants, which support works that relate to the community in a significant way, and an Arts-in-Education Grant category. The grants are chosen through a competitive process that includes a panel of community members and arts professionals.
Photo 3: White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach; New York State Assemblyman David Buchwald; William and Rose Kaung, representing OCA Westchester & Hudson Valley; and New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins (photo credit: Margaret Fox)
2017 ARTS LIVE GRANTS
Community Project Grants
Arts and Culture Committee, Greenburgh Town Hall – Kids Short Story Connection (Greenburgh): Twelve two-hour writing workshops held at Greenburgh Town Hall in summer and fall 2017, six sessions each, and open to students agents 9-18 years old. Workshops will be led by published authors and teachers and will culminate in a student presentation at the end of each session.
Asbury Methodist Church of Crestwood – Music at Asbury 2017 Concert Series (Tuckahoe): Asbury Methodist Church will present a series of free concerts held at the church, including The West Point band, NYC Children’s Chorus, and a Broadway musicals revue.
Black Marble Duo (fiscal agent Field Library) – Four concerts in Westchester County: The classic music duo will perform a series of four Baroque music concerts March through June 2017 at Embark Peekskill, Hart Library, (Shrub Oak), New Rochelle Public Library, and Drum Hill (Peekskill). Performances will feature Baroque music for two violins performed on period instruments.
Cross Cultural Connection – Intergenerational Jazz Ensemble (Peekskill): To be held in Spring/Summer 2017, Cross-Cultural Connection will hold ten weeks of jazz workshops and master classes will be made available for high school students and older adults in Peekskill. This project will also include collaborative jazz performances.
EMBARK Peekskill – Embark’s Suite Music Series 2017 (Peekskill): Embark will present a series of eight concerts at their performance venue in Peekskill. Genre varies from jazz, blues, classical Baroque, bossa nova, folk, storytelling, contemporary, etc.
Enslaved Africans’ Rain Garden – Breath of My Ancestors: Themba The Boatman (Yonkers): This collaboration on African heritage, led by Vinnie Bagwell, features a bronze sculpture by Ms. Bagwell, photography by Leslie Jean-Bart, and performance art piece by Ty Gray-El. The collaboration will be presented and performed in various locations throughout Westchester.
Greenburgh Public Library – Café a las Siete 2017 – La Cultura Caribeña (Elmsford): These five events presented at the Greenburgh Public Library in July 2017 will highlight Caribbean culture. The events include a film about Cuba; poetry by a Puerto Rican poet; Dominican and Puerto Rican dance classes; and a Latin jazz concert.
Groundwork Hudson Valley – Ayeye (Celebrate!) (Yonkers): A three-day festival of West African Art to be held at PC4 Gallery in Yonkers January through March 2017. The festival will include a documentary film and a Q&A with the director; art installation; crafts and dance instruction; and a West African dance performance.
Hamm and Clov Stage Company – Noor (Yonkers): Hamm and Clov will present a Spring 2017 production at Yonkers Riverfront Library of Labyrinth Dance Theater’s “NOOR”, a dance/theater piece celebrating Noor Inayat Khan, first female wireless operator to land in Nazi-occupied France during WWII.
Little Radical Theatrics – Little Radical Theatrics 2017 Season (Bronxville): This theatre company will present three Broadway-style musicals at the Grinton Will Library in Yonkers, including “Seussical” and “Secret Garden.”
Mount Vernon Public Library – Senior Memoir-writing Workshops (Mount Vernon): In Spring 2017 (January through March) there will be a series of six free memoir-writing workshops for seniors led by Karen Leahy. The workshops will be held on Saturdays at Mount Vernon Public Library.
NIJI No Kai Corp. – 2017 White Plains Cherry Blossom Festival (Valhalla): This free Japanese cultural arts festival will include dance, Taiko drums and martial arts demonstrations during the spring, when cherry blossoms bloom in White Plains in Spring 2017.
Nowodworski Foundation – My Horizons (Purdys): This “cultural and educational exchange” will host arts workshops for children in various mediums include painting, drawing and mixed media. Workshops will be held at Port Chester Day in Spring 2017, as well as at the Rye-Port Chester Library.
OCA Westchester and Hudson Valley – 2017 Asian American Heritage Festival (White Plains): In June 2017, professional and amateur artists will perform song, dance, and other cultural performances at Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla.
Ossining Documentary and Discussion (ODD) Series – 2017 Documentary and Discussion Series (Ossining): ODDS will host monthly documentary screenings of new films, plus post-performance panel discussions held at Ossining Public Library. The titles will be donated to the library following each panel.
Ossining Public Library – I’ve Got Rhythm dance workshops (Ossining): Ossining Public Library will hosts free dance workshops in May and June 2017 (four dances, two sessions each) featuring workshops in Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and Tango. The workshops will culminate in group dance “fiesta” in June 2017.
Peekskill Arts Alliance, Inc. – Open Studios 2017 (Peekskill): This grant will provide outreach and marketing support for the annual Peekskill Open Studios weekend in June 2017. Participants in Open Studios Weekend include Hudson Valley Center of Contemporary Art, The Field Library, Paramount Hudson Valley Theater, and the Truck Stop Gallery.
PJS Jazz Society, Inc. – PJS Spring Concert Series (Mount Vernon): PJS will present a three-concert series in Spring 2017 (February, March, April) at First Presbyterian Church in Mount Vernon. Headlining artists include Antonio Hart (saxophone); March 12: Jazameia Horn (vocal); and April 9: Bobby Sanabria (Latin Jazz).
Rebecca Tomas (fiscal agent Warner Library) – “Dive into Dance: The Art of Flamenco; Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.” (Sleepy Hollow): In Fall 2017 (September and October) flamenco dancer Rebecca Tomas will present flamenco workshops and lecture/demonstrations at Warner Library. The workshops will culminate with a performance by A Palo Seco Flameno Company at Tarrytown in Sleepy Hollow Firehouse Gallery.
Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church – UMC Community Arts Enrichment Program (Hartsdale): Saint Paul’s UMC will present a three-concert series of free music and poetry in local churches as well as Secor Park. Styles and genres include jazz, Latin jazz and Black history. Performances may include Ms. Jacqueline Flowers; a Father’s Day weekend Latin Jazz performance by Dr. Willie Rodriguez, and The Nuyorican Poetry Jazz Ensemble.
Sidra Bell Dance – Monster Outside – (New Rochelle): Sidra Bell’s eponymous dance company will hold development workshops throughout 2017 while working on a new dance piece in collaboration with Swedish-based New Tide Orquesta. Audience talkbacks will be held after the workshop performances.
The Neighborhood House – Artists Chairs (Tarrytown): Neighborhood House will hold weekly community art workshops in Spring/Summer 2017 , engaging locals and seniors, to paint 15-20 Adirondack chairs. The chairs will subsequently be donated as public art to the surrounding community. Sessions will also be held at Sleepy Hollow Middle School to partner seniors with middle school students.
Tribes Hill – Kindred Folk Concert Series (Valhalla): The Kindred Folk series will consist of monthly folk music concerts (February through December 2017) at Division Street Guitars in Peekskill.
Tutti Bravi Productions, “THE WRITE STUFF – Honoring Westchester’s Legends and Legacies” (New Rochelle): Tutti Bravi is holding a call for submissions for short plays inspired by a historical Westchester person, place, or event. Selected pieces will be chosen for staged readings in Fall 2017 at New Rochelle Library.
Westchester Public/Private Partnership for the Aging Services – Spring & Holiday Senior Shows (Mount Vernon): Spring and Fall music and dance workshops for senior citizen, culminating in variety shows performed by the senior, will be held at the Ukrainian Youth Center in Yonkers.
Individual Artist Grants
Christine Aaron – The Memory Project (Larchmont): Visual artists Christine Aaron will use mixed media (wood, wax, metal) sculpture and engage community members to describe a favorite memory for her inspiration. Ms. Aaron will predominantly work with residents in Larchmont/Mamaroneck; the finished works will likely be exhibited at Mamaroneck Artists’ Guild.
Evan Bishop – The 100 Words of Wisdom Project (Yonkers): Working with seniors at Wartburg and YMCA of Yonkers, Mr. Bishop will ask participants to share a word of wisdom that will be painted on their body and then photographed. Photos will be exhibited at Blue Door Art Center in October 2017, and may circulate to senior centers in Yonkers.
Edward Poneman – Bowling Together (Port Chester): Mr. Poneman will encourage Port Chester residents to perform four hours of community service at a location of their choosing. In response/acknowledgement, he will make a bowl for each person, with a goal of engaging of 250 individuals to perform 1,000 hours of service. A culminating party/exhibit of all bowls with all participants will be hosted at the Carver Center in June 2017.
Arts-In-Education
Dene Ross, in partnership with Riverside High School, Yonkers – “A Marriage of the Old and the New: Papermaking/Bookmaking and Digital Art”: Papermaking and digital art workshops with Riverside High School in Yonkers. Ms. Ross will work with three classes of 11 and 12th graders in Spring 2017, guiding them in the steps of papermaking and creating their own books. Included in the work will be projects created in the students’ Digital Art and English classes.
For more information about ArtsWestchester, visit artswestchester.org.
(Provided by the ArtsWestchester)
About ArtsWestchester
For over 50 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County. ArtsWestchester helps fund concerts, exhibitions and plays through grants; brings artists into schools and community centers; advocates for the arts; and builds audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community. A two-story gallery is located on the first floor of ArtsWestchester’s historic building on Mamaroneck Avenue.
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