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I’m very grateful that Lynn has allowed me to serve as the library representative for this year’s Arts Council Campaign. In trying to get a better understanding of the work of the Arts Council, I have discovered far more than I ever expected.

Thanks to donations from folks like you and me, in 2009-2010 the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County is able to provide grants totaling $1,600,000 to 59 recipients in the areas of Organization Support, Innovative Project, Arts in Education, and Regional Artist Projects.

Here are just a few examples of how our donations have enabled the Arts Council to support the arts in the Triad this year in these four areas:

Organizational support grants to:

NC Black Repertory Company ($175,000)

RiverRun International Film Festival ($77,000

Winston-Salem Delta Fine Arts ($31,500)

In the area of Innovative Project Grants:

BOOKMARKS Book Festival: $3,000

To enhance membership outreach and redevelop the organization’s website to allow e-commerce and online donations.

Clemmons Community Theatre: $1,500

To expand the existing marketing strategy by creating an online presence and a web application to allow the populations in nursing homes to view live performances.

Piedmont Slam: $1,500

To present twelve to fourteen events promoting spoken word to a wide demographic, involving a wide diversity of voices and establish a board to assist slammasters, develop promotion and bring in six featured artists.

Visit Winston-Salem: $2,500

To utilize “Guide by Cell” technology that will enable visitors to customize their own tours or follow suggested routes based on the Cultural Corridors programming.

Arts-In-Education Grants with the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools:

Carolina Music Ways: $1,300

To conduct a 45-minute school assembly program that educates children about the multicultural musical legacy that exists in the area. Musicians representing jazz, blues, bluegrass, gospel, Moravian, and old-time string bands will be present.

Giannini Brass: $6,000

To present “Brass Under the Big Top” which integrates musical performances with the magic of the circus to expose elementary students to classical music and teach musical concepts and history.

Tam Tam Mandingue Winston-Salem: $10,500

To expand a program that provides African drumming and dancing workshops for K-12 students.

To support individual Regional Artists:

Carlos Gustavo: $4,300

To produce “Homeless Situations, Those who Inhabit the Peripheries,” a photographic exploration to observe and describe homeless environments.

Christopher Bonner: $1,000

To produce a gospel album called “God’s love…chris bonner” in conjunction with Hidden Beach Records, a label that has committed to fund a portion of the project.

Leighanne Martin Wright: $1,200

To purchase new wireless headset microphones for use as she directs both community and high school theatre productions.

If you’d like to see the entire list of awards, it is available at http://www.intothearts.org/grants/default.asp You’ll truly be surprised by the range of artistic activities that the Arts Council supports in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

There’s still time to donate if you haven’t yet made a contribution to the Arts Council. The 2010 campaign officially ends April 30th.