HCA awards grants for children’s art programs

Representatives from eight different Healdsburg organizations
gathered at the Healdsburg Center for the Arts, (HCA) on Feb. 10 to
receive grant checks that will go toward funding children’s art
programs.
The HCA Board and Funds Committee met with directors from the
Boys & Girls Club, Healdsburg Education Foundation and art,
music and drama teachers from both Healdsburg and Geyserville
school districts to present them with checks that will fund
projects in silk painting, drama, ceramics, music, clay, fine art
competitions and other art media.
Every year in the fall, the HCA notifies all of the schools and
other child focused community organizations in Healdsburg letting
them know that the grants are available and how they can apply.
“The grant money is specifically for teachers who teach kids any
of the different art medias,” said HCA Board President Kara
Raymond.
The HCA board gets together in the spring to review the grant
requests and to decide which programs will be awarded funding.
Sometimes HCA is able to fund the entire cost of a project, and
other times only a portion of the project depending on how large of
an expense the program requests.
“This year we had more applications than we have ever had,” said
Raymond. “We awarded eight programs and I think we had over sixteen
or seventeen applications.”
The Healdsburg Education Foundation (HEF) was one of the eight
recipeints to receive money that will go toward a “Recycled Rhythm’
project for both third and fourth graders at Healdsburg Elementary
School.
‘Recycled Rhythm’ is a percussion-based cirriculum created by
Ami Molinelli the instructor who will teach the course using dance,
voice, and instruments made of recycled materials created by the
students.
“The Recycled Rhythm program is perfectly crafted to build upon
the basic vocal and beginning site reading that our K-2 grade
students receive in the HES Enrichment Program,” Director of HEF
Pamela Swan wrote in her grant proposal.
Swan also explained that over the past several years, third and
fourth grade students have been missing music instruction and that
these years are key in their development of music capacity.
Part of the criteria the HCA is looking at in a recipient is
whether they have received money before, the originality of the
project, how many children will be served in the project, and the
different age groups the project will serve.
“We also chose different media projects in music, art and
drama,” said Raymond.
The HCA is hoping to raise more money this year through their
next membership campaign and summer fundraising to offer a second
round of grants for art programs in the fall.
“This year we are doing a new fundraiser called ‘Tins of
Imagination’ which is using these small tins with windows in them
and we are going to chose 100 different artists to make something
with them,” said Raymond who said the goal is to also invite
celebrity artists such as the mayor, chief of police and people in
the community to create pieces that, in July, they will auction
off.
Individuals throughout the community are encouraged to sign-up
for membership at the HCA, which will help support the grant
program and provide funding for the center to operate.
“Membership really means that you just want to see a vital and
thriving art center in Healdsburg’s community,” said Raymond.
For more information visit www.healdsburgcenterforthearts.com
Staff writer Robin Hug can be reached at ro***@hb*****.com.