BRIDGEPORT, Mar 24 -
The Connecticut Post
By: Phyllis A.S. Boros
Mayor Bill Finch and U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-4, have joined forces to sponsor a day-long arts and culture funding forum on Friday at Housatonic Community College.
The free event is designed to help individual artists and nonprofit organizations identify potential federal, state and private funding sources. HCC and the Fairfield Arts Council also are sponsors.
The well-being of the area's nonprofit arts, cultural and historic preservation organizations is essential to the region's economic growth, Finch points out. But in these difficult economic times, many artists and arts groups are barely staying afloat, the mayor said.
Shays notes that federal funding, which is available from various sources, "helps support symphonies, theaters, musical productions, ballet, educational programs, and helps enable talented individuals pursue careers in the arts."
It's funding that's necessary "to bolster our vibrant arts community," Shays said. On hand will be representatives from several federal and state funding sources including the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism. Insights into the complexities of filing funding applications online will be among the topics explored.
Representatives from arts support groups, such as the Connecticut Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and the Peer Adviser Network, also will participate. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., with welcoming remarks at 9:15, followed by workshops on public funding for organizations.
A panel discussion on private funding sources will run from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; an optional lunch will be available for $9.95.
The afternoon session, from 12:45 to 3 p.m., will include a mix of workshops for organizations as well as those tailored to the needs of individual performing and visual artists.
Shays, who is co-chairman of the Congressional Arts Caucus, adds that the power of the arts to enrich and "improve the lives of many people, including children, the elderly and those on a limited budget," should not be discounted.
Reservations, which are required, may be obtained by calling the City of Bridgeport's Central Grants Office at 332-5662. Housatonic Community College is at 900 Lafayette Blvd.
Paid for and authorized by the Christopher Shays for Congress Committee, Ralph DePanfilis, Treasurer
Christopher Shays for Congress | 98 East Avenue | Norwalk, CT 06851
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