The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development is allocating $9 million in grants to 154 nonprofit arts organizations that were financially impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The grants will be distributed this month under the Covid Relief Fund for the Arts, a program that uses federal CARES Act funding. Qualifying organizations will receive a base grant of $5,000 and organizations that have raised funds between March 10 and Nov. 1 will receive a supplemental match of up to 50% of contributed income during that period.
“Connecticut”™s arts community provides an incredible amount of good for our state and supports thousands of jobs,” said Gov. Ned Lamont in a press statement announcing the grants.
“Like nearly every segment of our communities, many of nonprofit arts organizations are struggling to recover from its impact. These grants will provide some needed support so that these groups can continue providing the services in our state that on which many depend.”
The Fairfield County-based arts organizations receiving grants include:
Ӣ 1214 Foundation (aka NewArts), Newtown, $11,700
Ӣ ACT of Connecticut, Ridgefield, $221,000
Ӣ BackCountry Concerts (aka BackCountry Jazz), Greenwich, $31,400
Ӣ Broadway Method Academy, Fairfield, $8,600
Ӣ Brookfield Craft Center, Brookfield, $43,200
Ӣ Center Stage Theatre, Shelton, $32,100
Ӣ Connecticut Chamber Choir, Trumbull, $5,600
Ӣ Connecticut Dance School, Fairfield, $9,700
Ӣ Crystal Theatre, Norwalk, $9,000
Ӣ Curtain Call, Stamford, $81,300
Ӣ Danbury Music Centre, Danbury, $38,000
Ӣ Darien Arts Center, Darien, $41,700
Ӣ Downtown Cabaret Theatre, Bridgeport, $39,200
”¢ Fairfield County Children’s Choir, Fairfield, $8,100
Ӣ Fairfield Theatre Company, Fairfield, $106,400
Ӣ Friends of the Levitt Pavilion, Westport, $55,200
Ӣ Greater Bridgeport Symphony, Bridgeport $43,000
Ӣ Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestras, Fairfield, $44,400
Ӣ Greenwich Art Society, Greenwich, $11,500
Ӣ Greenwich Arts Council, Greenwich, $14,000
Ӣ Greenwich Symphony Orchestra, Greenwich, $19,300
Ӣ INTEMPO, Stamford, $63,600
Ӣ JIB Productions (aka Play With Your Food), Westport, $11,900
Ӣ Klein Memorial Auditorium Foundation, Bridgeport, $58,500
Ӣ MOCA WESTPORT, Westport, $97,700
Ӣ Music on the Hill, Wilton, $13,200
Ӣ Music Theatre of Connecticut, Norwalk, $44,600
Ӣ Neighborhood Studios of Fairfield County, Bridgeport, $30,900
Ӣ New Canaan Society for the Arts (aka Carriage Barn Arts Center), New Canaan, $15,600
Ӣ Norwalk Symphony Society, Norwalk, $25,100
Ӣ Norwalk Youth Symphony, Norwalk, $14,600
Ӣ Open Arts Alliance, Greenwich, $9,700
Ӣ Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance, Ridgefield, $30,400
Ӣ Ridgefield Guild of Artists, Ridgefield, $14,300
Ӣ Ridgefield Playhouse for Movies and the Performing Arts, Ridgefield, $186,400
Ӣ Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, Ridgefield, $25,000
Ӣ Ridgefield Workshop for the Performing Arts (aka Ridgefield Theater Barn), Ridgefield, $16,300
Ӣ Rowayton Arts Center, Norwalk, $17,300
Ӣ Sherman Players, Sherman, $6,300
Ӣ Silvermine Guild of Artists, New Canaan, $57,900
Ӣ Stamford Center for the Arts, Stamford, $50,000
Ӣ Stamford Symphony, Stamford, $185,600
Ӣ Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic, Old Greenwich, $6,600
Ӣ Summer Theatre of New Canaan, New Canaan, $46,600
Ӣ Thrown Stone Theatre Company, Ridgefield, $5,900
Ӣ Treetops Chamber Music Society, Stamford, $8,100
Ӣ Wall Street Theater, Norwalk, $6,800
Ӣ Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra, Ridgefield, $14,900
Ӣ Westport Community Theatre, Westport, $5,500
Ӣ Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, $365,800
Real businesses are struggling and many people are out of work or furloughed because of the incompetence of Gov. Howdy Doody and he is giving big money to theater groups, dance studios, playhouses and orchestras. That money would be better spent helping restaurants, stores, small manufacturers and other businesses get though Lamont’s COVID-19 spike. Then again, those business, unlike the rich elitist liberal bigots in the arts, probably didn’t make large contributions to Lamont’s campaign. And you wonder why CT is collapsing under its burdensome weight of failed liberalism.
Listen. Do you hear that? That is the sound of even more businesses and CT residents moving out of CT.
I suppose another one of the Business Journal’s crackerjack reporters, Phil Hall, simply regurgitated information from a press release and didn’t have the ability or inclination to contact the Gov’s office to ask why he feels it more important to help theater groups play at acting than support real businesses. Shame on you, Phil. Now get back to that pod cast. Your one listener can’t wait to tune in.
Mr. Bob V, I take umbrage at being referred to as “one of the Business Journal’s crackerjack reporters.” Why, I haven’t touched a box of Cracker Jack since Jimmy Carter was president, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of his peanuts from Plains, Georgia, wound up in those boxes. Cracker Jack? Oh, sir, the very thought of that candy sends shivers down my spine and aching across my teeth. And those farkakte prizes in the box – what kind of a reward was that? Heck, give me a pack of Bazooka bubble gum and a Bazooka Joe comic strip any day over Cracker Jack. And please don’t pick on my one podcast listener – it took me ages to get that person to tune in!
Arts businesses =ARE= real businesses. They serve people. They serve communities. They benefit the economies of communities. Do you expect ballerinas to serve french fries and burgers during a recital? Would that make them a “real” business to you? By the way, I listen to Phil’s podcast, and I’m sure he’s got quite a few listeners.
I listen every day to Phils broadcasts and usually agree with him on every subject.