Area arts organizations get a piece of $4.2M in statewide grants

Springfield-area organizations are among groups picked statewide to receive a portion of $4.2 million in grants offered by the Missouri Arts Council.

The council, a division of the Missouri Department of Economic Development, announced the 360 grants last week, according to a news release.

The grant total includes 17 in Springfield, two in Branson and one in Mt. Vernon.

Springfield grant recipients are:
    •    Boys Choir of Springfield, $3,242;
    •    Downtown Springfield Association, $2,383;
    •    Drury University’s literary magazine Ginkgo Tree Review, $2,000;
    •    Drury’s Springfield-Drury Civic Orchestra, $4,927;
    •    Drury’s theater department, $2,000;
    •    Messiah Project, $4,124;
    •    Missouri State University’s Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts, $10,156;
    •    Moxie Cinema, $9,706;
    •    Springfield Art Museum, $10,069;
    •    Springfield Ballet, two grants totaling $13,318;
    •    Springfield Little Theatre, $15,992;
    •    Springfield Mid-America Singers, $6,194;
    •    Springfield Regional Arts Council, two grants totaling $22,222;
    •    Springfield Regional Opera, $10,317; and
    •    Springfield Symphony Orchestra, $16,509.

In Branson, an $8,581 grant was earmarked for the Branson Arts Council, while a $5,058 grant will go toward the Downtown Branson Betterment Association. The Mt. Vernon Community Betterment Council was picked to receive $6,083.

According to the release, the grants are designed to support arts education, arts services, community arts, dance, electronic media, festivals, folk arts, literature, minority arts, multidisciplinary arts, music, theater and visual arts.