Columbus Arts Council

Press Release

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Rachel Smith Hurt,

Executive Director

662-328- 2787
rachel. columbusarts@gmail.com

Columbus Arts Council, Inc., Receives Mississippi Arts Commission Grant

Jackson, MS - The Columbus Arts Council (CAC) of Columbus, MS, has been awarded a $450 Minigrant from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC). This grant is a portion of the $1.5 million in grants the Commission will award in 2009-2010 and will be used in part to support the upcoming performance of musician Eden Brent.

The grants are made possible by continued funding from the Mississippi State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

"Organizations across the state who receive grants from the Mississippi Arts Commission continue to prove that arts programs are vital to the growth of their area. The grants awarded by the Commission provide funding for the staging of festivals, theatre performances and many other arts-related activities," said Malcolm White, Executive Director of MAC. "Communities across this state are also learning the affect the arts have on the education of their children. Arts-based activities have a proven positive impact on at-risk youth and children enrolled in after-school programs."
The Columbus Arts Council was organized in 1965 and incorporated in 1971 with a mission "to present, promote and support the arts and arts education."

The CAC Omnova Theater will welcome Brent to the stage on Friday, April 30, 2010. Brent, a Mississippi Delta native, is a masterful blues pianist and vocal stylist who took home awards for both Acoustic Artist of the Year and Acoustic Album of the Year at the recent 2009 Blues Music Awards. Her latest release "Mississippi Number One" is available on Yellow Dog Records and is a tribute to her home on Mississippi State Highway One.

The Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, serves the residents of the state by providing grants that support programs to enhance communities; assist artists and arts organizations; promote the arts in education and celebrate Mississippi's cultural heritage. Established in 1968, the Mississippi Arts Commission is funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Wallace Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation, Donna & Jim Barksdale, the Phil Hardin Foundation, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson and other private sources. The agency serves as an active supporter and promoter of arts in community life and in arts education.

Press Release

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Rachel Smith Hurt,

Executive Director

662-328- 2787
rachel. columbusarts@gmail.com

Columbus, MS – The Columbus Arts Council (CAC) of Columbus, MS, has been awarded a $10,000 Challenge America Fast Track Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). This grant is a portion of the $155 million in grants the NEA awarded in 2009. The CAC will use this grant to partially support the March 6th, 2010, performance by the African Children’s Choir.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Arts Endowment is the largest annual national funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases.

The NEA is the largest annual national funder of the arts in the United States. While the NEA's budget ($155 million for FY 2009) represents less than one percent of total arts philanthropy in the U.S., NEA grants have a powerful multiplying effect, with each grant dollar typically generating up to seven times more money in matching grants.

The Columbus Arts Council was organized in 1965 and incorporated in 1971 with a mission "to present, promote and support the arts and arts education." The CAC primarily services Columbus and Lowndes County, but annual programming draws people from all over Northeast Mississippi and Northwest Alabama. The CAC offers arts-based community development programs, re-grants to local arts organizations, and promotion and ticketing services for other local arts groups. The CAC also offers quality arts programming to the area through the Rosenzweig Arts Center Gallery Series, the Concert & Artist Series featuring professional touring productions, the Omnova Theatre Music Series, the Columbus Community Theatre, the Young People's Artist Series and workshops in the local schools, Summer Arts Camp, and Art Underground classes.

Press Release

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Rachel Smith Hurt,

Executive Director

662-328- 2787
rachel. columbusarts@gmail.com

Columbus Arts Council, Inc., Receives Mississippi Arts Commission Grant

Jackson, MS - The Columbus Arts Council (CAC) of Columbus, MS, has been awarded a $21,750 operating grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC). This grant is a portion of the $1.5 million in grants the Commission will award in 2009-2010 and will be used to supplement funds for salaries, funding day-to-day operations, and funds for special event programming.
The grants are made possible by continued funding from the Mississippi State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.
"Organizations across the state who receive grants from the Mississippi Arts Commission continue to prove that arts programs are vital to the growth of their area. The grants awarded by the Commission provide funding for the staging of festivals, theatre performances and many other arts-related activities," said Malcolm White, Executive Director of MAC. "Communities across this state are also learning the affect the arts have on the education of their children. Arts-based activities have a proven positive impact on at-risk youth and children enrolled in after-school programs."
The Columbus Arts Council was organized in 1965 and incorporated in 1971 with a mission "to present, promote and support the arts and arts education." The CAC primarily services Columbus and Lowndes County, but annual programming draws people from all over Northeast Mississippi and Northwest Alabama. The CAC offers arts-based community development programs, re-grants to local arts organizations, and promotion and ticketing services for other local arts groups. The CAC also offers quality arts programming to the area through the Rosenzweig Arts Center Gallery Series, the Concert & Artist Series featuring professional touring productions, the Omnova Theatre Music Series, the Columbus Community Theatre, the Young People's Artist Series and workshops in the local schools, Summer Arts Camp, and Art Underground featuring classes in everything from guitar to pottery to belly dancing.
The Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, serves the residents of the state by providing grants that support programs to enhance communities; assist artists and arts organizations; promote the arts in education and celebrate Mississippi's cultural heritage. Established in 1968, the Mississippi Arts Commission is funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Wallace Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation, Donna & Jim Barksdale, the Phil Hardin Foundation, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson and other private sources. The agency serves as an active supporter and promoter of arts in community life and in arts education.

For information from the Mississippi Arts Commission, contact
Susan Dobbs - 601-359-6031 or sdobbs@arts.state.ms.us

To present, promote and support the arts and arts education - Mission Statement of the Columbus Arts Council