MCAC awards $146,000

The Monmouth County Arts Council announced grant awards to 28 Monmouth County organizations for Fiscal Year 2006.

MCAC offers Local Arts Grant Funding to organizations that provide the Monmouth County public with arts events that are artistically excellent, provide public benefit and are accessible to the public.

This year, 29 groups throughout Monmouth County submitted grants requesting a total of $379,087 and 28 were recommended for funding. The funds are awarded through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State Local Arts Program.

Each organization went through a competitive grant process to receive these awards. Recommendations were based on criteria including high artistic quality; sound governance, management and operations; financial soundness with evidence of broad support; broad public benefit; and accessibility.

The grants include General Operating Support (GOS) for arts organizations, General Program Support (GPS) for other types of nonprofit organizations that have significant arts programs, and Special Project Support (SP) for all types of nonprofit organizations. The awards are:

The Arcadian Chorale, Matawan, GOS, $3,247.

Herbert & Evelyn Axelrod Performing Arts Center, Jewish Community Center of Greater Monmouth County, Deal, GPS, $8,819.

Ballet Company of the Performing Arts Ensemble, Red Bank, GOS, $6,241.

Band of the Two Rivers, Rumson, SP, $1,500.

Brookdale Big Band, Lincroft, SP, $1,500.

Center for Holocaust Studies, Lincroft, SP, $1,500.

Company of Dance Arts, Red Bank, GOS, $6,280.

Guild of Creative Art, Shrewsbury, GOS, $4,396.

Monmouth Civic Chorus, Red Bank, GOS, $12,760.

Monmouth Conservatory of Music, Red Bank, GOS, $12,210.

Monmouth Festival of the Arts, Tinton Falls, SP, $4,613.

New Jersey State Youth Orchestra, Red Bank, GOS, $6,105

Phoenix Productions, Red Bank, GOS, $5,413.

Poetry for the Poor, Red Bank, SP, $1,500.

RiverCenter, Red Bank, SP, $4,341.

Shrewsbury Chorale, Shrewsbury, GOS, $3,541.

Mini grants in the amount of $500 are still available during fiscal year 2006. Applications are on the MCAC’s Web site at www.monmouthartscouncil.org.

Organizations interested in finding out more about the grant process for fiscal year 2006 can contact Mary Eileen Fouratt, executive director, at (732) 212-1890 or e-mail to: mef@monmouthartscouncil.org.