LEXARTS REWARDS ACHIEVEMENT WITH SPECIAL GRANTS

Posted: February 23rd, 2010



LEXARTS REWARDS ACHIEVEMENT WITH SPECIAL GRANTS



Three Groups Honored for Innovation and Accomplishment in the Arts





Contacts: Jim Clark, LexArts, 859.255.2951, jclark@lexarts.org

Melissa Wilkeson, LexArts, 859.255.2951, mwilkeson@lexarts.org


Lexington, February 23, 2010 - LexArts today announced the award of three special grants honoring achievement and innovation in the arts. The three recipients - Lafayette High School's Madrigals, Institute-193 and Balagula Theatre - represent the range and diversity of Lexington's art scene, from a choral group to the visual arts to theatre. The groups will receive a total of $3,500.



"These groups are contributing to making our cultural landscape richer," said Jim Clark, President and CEO of LexArts. "The LexArts Board feels strongly that supporting and nurturing emerging artistic endeavors and risk-taking in the arts are key components of ensuring continued growth in our community."



The grantees are:



The Lafayette High School's Madrigals, an advanced chamber group made up of mostly juniors and seniors, will receive $1,000 towards costs associated with performing at the American Choral Director's Association (ACDA) Southern Division Convention in Memphis, Tennessee. An invitation by the ACDA to perform a featured concert is one of the highest honors a choir can receive.



Institute-193, an artist-initiated organization that both publishes small catalogues that document an artist's output and exhibits the work of regional artists who have been overlooked by more established galleries, will receive $1,000 towards general operating support. Institute-193 was created by Phillip March Jones, who is well-known and well-respected in Lexington for his work with contemporary artists. The efforts of Institute-193 provide critical opportunities for emerging and lesser-known artists to get their work seen.



Balagula Theatre, a relatively young nonprofit theater group, will receive $1,500 towards participating in the 61st Southeaster Theatre Conference (SETC) Annual Convention. Balagula is one of only two theater groups in Kentucky invited to participate at the convention, which will be held in Lexington March 3-7, 2010. The funding will support the registration of the Balagula Theatre and its seven competition participants.



"LexArts' ability to respond quickly to our need for funding has made it possible for a Lexington theater to present at the regional level, and for Lexington actors to benefit from the diverse offerings SETC is bringing to town," said Natasha Williams, director of the Balagula Theatre.



LexArts will continue to support and encourage artists and arts organizations in the production, distribution and exhibition of the arts in all forms. Whether through new and risk-taking visions or more classical traditions, LexArts seeks to encourage art that redefines, invents and explores visions and stories that reflect our diverse culture.


About LexArts


LexArts is a nonprofit community organization that works for the development of a strong and vibrant arts community as a means of enhancing the quality of life in central Kentucky. Through its annual Fund for the Arts, LexArts raises millions of dollars in support of local arts. In turn, LexArts underwrites the operating expenses for a variety of Partner Organizations, offers affordable exhibition and performance space for arts organizations, as well as competitive grants for community outreach projects. Visit LexArts website at www.lexarts.org.



Major support for LexArts programs and services is provided by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, supports LexArts with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
 


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