WS Chronicle

The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County has announced its Summer 2018 grants made through its Community Enrichment Mini-Grant program. 

These awards provide community groups and individuals with grants up to $500 to infuse the arts into all segments of the community, promote creativity, provide greater access to the arts and bring people together.

Projects selected:

*Art in the Trees will offer a nature-inspired art enrichment program at the Gateway Nature Preserve for underserved youth from the nearby Gateway communities such as Happy Hill.  This program will take place from June 13-15 and June 18-22.

*IFB Solutions, in partnership with Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance, will offer a Student Enrichment Experience (SEE) Theater Camp for children who are blind or visually impaired.  These students will rehearse and perform “The Wizard of Oz,” July 30 – Aug. 3.

*Leslie Smith will be hosting a Youth Art Show that will showcase the sale of works by 30 local youth arts and craft vendors. 

*Music Carolina will present a free family concert, “A Musical Passport,” performed by Harmonium Winds as part of Music Carolina’s 2018 SummerFest. This will take place Sunday, Aug. 12, at 3 p.m. at Bookmarks.

*Senior Services, as part of their Aging with Purpose pilot project, will work with local artists to provide art lessons to homebound Meals-on-Wheels participants.

*Soul Focused Sundays, a monthly event held at Art for Art’s Sake, will provide an opportunity for women of various backgrounds and ethnicities to take time out to focus on their souls and spiritual wellness.  These events will include guided group meditation and yoga sessions.

*The Dream School will host a podcast and digital video production summer camp for at-risk youth at The Enterprise Center, June 18-29.

*The Enrichment Center will present an original play, “A Storybook Tale,” written and performed by students of The Enrichment Center.  The performance will be on Friday, July 20 at 7 p.m. at the Gateway Gallery at The Enrichment Center.

*Triad Cultural Arts presented its annual Juneteenth Festival in observance of the abolition of slavery in the United States on Saturday, June 16 from noon – 7 p.m, in the Wake Forest Innovation Quarter.

*W.O.R.D Society will present “Poetry at PDQ Kidz Poetry Workshop Series,” on July 3, 17, and 31 from 6:30-7:30 pm at PDQ restaurant.  This 3-part poetry, rhyming, songwriting, and performing series is open to elementary and middle school students. 

The Arts Council has awarded 129 mini-grants totaling $45,000. The next due date for mini-grant applications is Friday, August 3 by 5:00 pm for projects taking place September 1 – November 30, 2018.

For more information about Community Enrichment Mini-Grants contact Dara Silver, Senior Administrative Assistant, Special Projects, and Grant Program Manager at 336-747-1426  or  dsilver@intothearts.org.

Winston-Salem, known as a City of Arts and Innovation, and Forsyth County have a robust arts community that enriches the lives of area residents every day and accounts in large part for the recognition they continue to receive as a great place to live, learn, work and play.  The Arts Council raises funds and advocates for the arts, sponsors events in conjunction with other arts organizations, promotes and funds arts education, creates cultural and learning opportunities, develops social capital and aids economic development.