$128K In Arts, Humanities Grants Go To 10 Guilford Organizations

GUILFORD, CT — Guilford's arts community will soon be enriched with the announcement Wednesday by state Sen. Christine Cohen about a quarter million in state arts grants.

The funds were awarded to nearly two-dozen shoreline arts and humanities organizations to "help them financially survive during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," Cohen said.

The local grants are part of 624 statewide grants to different non-profit museums and cultural, humanities, and arts organizations totaling $16 million, and they are part of the $30.7 million in grants allocated by the state legislature to CT Humanities over the next two years.

Grants range from $5,000 to $500,000 to any organization offering cultural, humanities and arts-based projects and activities for the public.

Guilford arts groups are set to receive a total of $128,300 in grants:

• Guilford Art Center, $54,300
• Guilford Keeping Society, $8,800
• Guilford Performing Arts Festival Company, $7,400
• Guilford Preservation Alliance, $7,100
• Henry Whitfield State Museum, $5,000
• Project: Music Heals Us, $16,200
• Starship Dance Theater and Company, $5,800
• The Dudley Foundation, $9,300
• The Hyland House Museum, $6,600
• Witness Stones Project, $7,800

The grants are part of the 2021-23 biennial state budget from CT Humanities through its CT Cultural Fund. The grants will assist organizations recovering from the pandemic and aid them in serving their communities.

"Thousands of people in shoreline towns enjoy these organizations year-round, but the pandemic has had a tremendous impact on our arts, culture and tourism sector. I fought for relief and assistance for them, because like so many of our cherished businesses, they have been at financial risk," Cohen said. "These funds will help to keep their doors open and allow the continuation of their wonderful services to the community."