January 15, 2010
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the West Virginia Commission on the Arts will present ceremonial checks to eight recipients of Cultural Facilities and Capital Resources grants on Tuesday, January 19, at 9:30 a.m., in the Governor’s Reception Room in the State Capitol Building. Gov. Joe Manchin III, Cabinet Secretary Kay Goodwin of the Department of Education and the Arts, Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, and Jeff Pierson, director of arts for the Division, will be in attendance.
The organizations to receive the grants include Carnegie Hall, Lewisburg, Greenbrier County; C-HOPE, Elkins, Randolph County; City of Clarksburg, Clarksburg, Harrison County; City of Morgantown/Metropolitan Theatre, Morgantown, Monongalia County; Oglebay Institute, Wheeling, Ohio County; Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, Cabell County; McDowell County Economic Development Authority/McArts Amphitheatre, Welch, McDowell County; and Mountain Partners in Community Development/Riverside School, Elkins, Randolph County.
Fiscal year 2010 marks the tenth year of competitive funding for construction, acquisition, renovation, stabilization, accessibility and capital purchase funds for facilities that have an arts or history focus.
The Cultural Facilities and Capitol Resources grant program provides funding opportunities to arts organizations as first priority and history museums as second priority to help acquire, construct or renovate cultural facilities throughout West Virginia. The program is rare since only a few states provide competitive funding opportunities for facilities. Although the program is focused on bricks and mortar, the main thrust is service to the community and state. Grant priorities include creating public access to the arts and history, service to multi-county regions, economic development, health and safety improvements, creating improved access to the arts for individuals with disabilities and to reduce the organization’s operating costs. A 10-year report documenting projects funded in the past is now available on-line at www.wvculture.org/arts/artsindex.aspx.
For more information about the Cultural Facilities and Capital Resources grants or to receive a printed copy of the 10-year report, contact Rose McDonough, program coordinator for the Division, at (304) 558-0240.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices are located at the Culture Center in the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Culture Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.