The Colorado Council on the Arts (CCA), the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs (DOCA) and the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) today announced 47 Colorado nonprofit arts organizations will receive $568,040 in federal recovery funds to preserve or restore 313 salaried and contract positions.  

The grants, administered by CCA, DOCA and WESTAF, are part of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds allocated to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to help combat job loss in the arts due to declining philanthropic and other support in the current economic climate.  This one-time funding allocation allowed CCA, DOCA and WESTAF to distribute grants according to narrow federal guidelines designed to ensure job preservation and restoration in the arts and cultural sector over the next year.

These grants have significant impact on arts organizations statewide:

Organizations in 15 counties and 17 cities received ARRA funding.
More than 300 jobs, including contract positions, will be preserved or reinstated.
47 grantee organizations include theatre, music, dance, visual arts, film and arts festivals.
Many of these jobs are key leadership positions critical to the daily operation of each organization.  Other positions will allow organizations to continue to provide innovative and educational programs and services that greatly benefit numerous Colorado communities.

CCA, DOCA and WESTAF reconciled their individual grant award process to maximize the impact of stimulus support, and to ensure that each grantee organization receives funds from only one source—a condition of the NEA. 

Recipients of ARRA funds include:
Colorado Council on the Arts

Organization	City	Amount
Adams State College	Alamosa	$10,000
Anderson Ranch Arts Foundation	Snowmass Village	$10,000
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet	Aspen	$10,000
Bas Bleu Theatre Company	Fort Collins	$10,000
Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra	Boulder	$10,000
Bravo! Colorado at Vail-Beaver Creek Inc.	Vail	$10,000
City of Longmont - Museum	Longmont	$10,000
Colorado Children's Chorale	Denver	$10,000
Colorado Dragon Boat Festival	Wheat Ridge	$10,000
Colorado Film Society	Boulder	$10,000
Colorado Springs Philharmonic Orchestra	Colorado Springs	$10,000
Colorado Symphony Association	Denver	$10,000
Creede Repertory Theatre	Creede	$10,000
Delta Montrose Youth Services, Inc.	Montrose	$10,000
Denver March Powwow, Inc.	Denver	$10,000
Downtown Aurora Visual Arts	Aurora	$10,000
Durango Latino Education Coalition	Durango	$10,000
Fort Lewis College Theatre	Durango	$10,000
Gunnison Council for the Arts	Gunnison	$10,000
Imagination Makers Unlimited	Boulder	$10,000
Int'l Institute for Indigenous Resource Mgmt.	Denver	$10,000
Koshare Indian Museum, Inc.	La Junta	$10,000
PlatteForum	Denver	$10,000
Rocky Mountain Children's Choir	Denver	$10,000
Rocky Mountain Women's Film Festival	Colorado Springs	$10,000
San Juan Symphony	Durango	$10,000
University of CO at Boulder - Shakespeare Festival	Boulder	$10,000
University of CO at Colorado Springs - THEATREWORKS	Colorado Springs	$10,000
Vail Jazz Foundation, Inc.	Vail	$10,000
Western Colorado Center for the Arts	Grand Junction	$10,000
YMCA of Boulder Valley	Boulder	$10,000
Total		$310,000

Denver Office of Cultural Affairs

Organization	City	Amount
ArtReach	Denver	$12,000
Friends of ArtStreet	Denver	$10,660
Chicano Humanities & Arts Council	Denver	$12,000
Colorado Chamber Players	Denver	$8,500
Curious Theatre Company	Denver	$21,000
Denver Art Museum	Denver	$20,000
Denver Botanic Gardens	Denver	$16,640
The Denver Brass	Denver	$17,200
Harmony A Colorado Chorale	Denver	$8,500
Lighthouse Writers Workshop	Denver	$20,000
Mizel Arts and Culture Center	Denver	$10,000
Museo de las Américas	Denver	$24,000
Museum of Contemporary Art|Denver	Denver	$25,000
PHAMALY (Physically Handicapped Actors & Musical Artists League)	Denver	$12,000
The Spirituals Project	Denver	$7,500
Total		$225,000

Western States Arts Federation

Organization	City	Amount
El Centro Su Teatro	Denver	$33,040
Total		$33,040

 

ARRA funds are restricted to eligible nonprofit organizations to preserve jobs in the arts through salary support for one or more positions that are critical to an organization’s artistic mission and that are in jeopardy or have been eliminated as a result of the current economic climate.  Funds may also be used for fees for previously engaged artists and/or contractual personnel to maintain or expand the period during which such persons would be engaged.

For more information about the grants awarded by CCA, DOCA and WESTAF, please visit the respective Web site listed below.

About Colorado Council on the Arts

The mission of the Colorado Council on the Arts (CCA), a division of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, is to promote the cultural, educational, and economic growth of Colorado through development of its arts and cultural heritage.  For more information, visit www.coloarts.org.

About the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs

The mission of the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs (DOCA) is to advance the arts and culture in the City and County of Denver.  For more information, visit www.denvergov.org/DOCA.  For information about all ARRA funds received by the City of Denver, please visit www.denvergov.org/stimulus.

About Western States Arts Federation

WESTAF, the Western States Arts Federation, is a nonprofit arts service organization dedicated to the creative advancement and preservation of the arts in the West.  For more information, visit www.westaf.org