By Sara Penny
The Cedar City Arts Council awards up to 20 mini-grants each year. The next deadline is Feb. 28 and the application is on the website under support or directly at https://www.cedarcityartscouncil.org/support/quick-grants/.
Cedar City Arts Council Artists’ Mini-Grants are awarded semi-annually to individuals, groups, or organizations in the visual, performing, and literary arts to support creative endeavors that will strengthen communication between artists and the community. Grant funds may be used to purchase supplies or equipment; rent display or performance venues; support mileage or registration costs to educational or training sessions; purchase promotional advertising; or other needs as demonstrated in the grant application. Our goal is to broaden our cultural landscape through unusual, unique, and innovative ideas, events, and projects.
Preference is given to art projects that engage the community.
In analyzing the grants from 2008 through 2022 the committee tried to spread the joy among many artistic disciplines. Some are counted as art medium plus education. Several of the groups we helped in the beginning are now non-profits.
Sixty three grants have gone to music for instruments, sound systems, concert venue rental, recordings, and even the lights that are used by the Iron County Acoustic Association for their shows. A student needed a case for his string bass and a cellist needed repairs on his cello. A student quartet needed printed music and a composer needed upgrades to his computer system.
Arts education programs have received 39 grants from mask making to providing choir music for special programs.
Three of the local arts groups used their grants to get nonprofit status and now receive RAP (Recreation, Arts, and Parks) funding through Cedar City.
Photographers have received seven grants for exhibits and materials.
Visual artists have received 44 grants, including lighting systems for public exhibits.
Dancers have received seven grants and there have been eight theater production grants.
The Arts Council has helped the Sagebrush Fiber Artisans get established as well as the Southern Utah Woodturners. Grants for Off the Cuff Comedy and the Red Rock Film Festival have helped them get established.
There was one grant for culinary arts which has developed into cooking classes at the Senior Center.
Twelve local artists have attended conferences and workshops with their grants to help us raise our local artistic standards and bring new ideas.
Clay and sculpture classes have received a grant for equipment and supplies as have the fabric art classes. Both metal and rock arts are represented among recipients.
There have been three art therapy projects that were made possible with the mini-grants.
Literary grants have included publishing poems and hosting public literary readings.
Apply for your art projects before Feb. 28. “Sometimes it takes a couple of applications to be funded, but we are working to develop more community art. We appreciate all of the innovative and exciting projects funded by the mini-grants,” said Roger Gold, Cedar City Arts Council President.
A committee led by Mary Anne Andersen reviews the applications and makes awards. Some of the recipients perform at the Arts Council Socials. The next one will be Tuesday, March 7, at 7 p.m. at Festival Hall, upstairs at the Heritage Center. The Social is free and the public is invited. Follow the @CedarCityArts social media for updates.
Funds for the mini-grants come from membership fees and grants. To join the Arts Council go to the website under Support or directly to https://www.cedarcityartscouncil.org/support/membership/. Several local businesses offer discounts to CCAC members.
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More information: cedarcityartscouncil@gmail.com
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter: CedarCityArts
Application for grants: https://www.cedarcityartscouncil.org/support/quick-grants/
