Commission On The Arts Awards Grants To 13 Organizations

Press release from the City of Fairfax :

01/11/2023 3:00 PM

The City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts has selected 13 arts organizations to receive $25,000 in project support grants. These recipients represent a diverse selection of artistic disciplines in Fairfax City for all ages, including playwriting, brass music, multimedia art, fashion design, and The Nutcracker — to name just a few.

These select projects are intended to increase understanding and appreciation of the arts; provide access to high-quality art in Fairfax City; offer opportunities for artists to develop skills and demonstrate their abilities; and support emerging art organizations and activities. Grant funding is provided by the City of Fairfax and the Virginia Commission for the Arts Creative Communities Partnership Grant.

Grant recipients for fiscal year 2022-23 are:

Acting for Young People – Young Playwrights Festival
Original plays by young playwrights being mentored by professional playwrights are rehearsed then performed at a festival featuring professional actors, teaching artists, and students from the AFYP program.

Cathedral Brass - Day of Brass
The Cathedral Brass provides high school and advanced middle-school brass players with a Day of Brass, with master classes and rehearsals, culminating in a concert that features the young brass musicians, as well as guest clinicians and the Cathedral Brass.

Fairfax Academy's Music & Computer Technology – MCT Fest
Students exhibit original music in a show developed, performed, managed, and executed by the MCT I & 2 Students.

Fairfax Academy's Musical Theatre and Actors Studio – Legally Blonde the Musical
Fairfax Academy presents the award-winning musical based on the popular movie, which follows the transformation of a young woman who tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams.

Fairfax Academy for Communication and the Arts – Fashion in Motion
Fairfax Academy’s Advanced Fashion Careers students present completely original designs from their final fashion collections in an unforgettable show featuring sustainable, mostly repurposed looks derived from thrift garments purchased locally and in support of the Goodwill of Greater Washington.

Fairfax Art League - The FAL Art Education Project
The Fairfax Art League Education Program benefits art lovers of all ages with a monthly art demonstration by a guest or member artist and an art program for children at the Main Street Child Development Center.

Fairfax Ballet Company – Nutcracker
During Thanksgiving weekend in November 2022, the ballet company performed Tchaikovsky's opulent classical ballet The Nutcracker in the Fairfax High School auditorium.

Fairfax Symphony Orchestra - Link Up
Link Up connects the classroom to the concert hall for 650 students in grades three through six at Daniels Run and Providence elementary schools. Students sing and play soprano recorder while learning basic musical concepts and composing their own music, culminating in an interactive concert.

Mason Community Arts Academy – Spring Recital
Advanced Academy music students and select Academy music faculty perform a live piano and strings concert featuring mainly classical music curated to expand public appreciation. The concert includes a video component for livestreaming and subsequent recorded video social media posts to maximize community accessibility.

Milky Way Educational Cultural Association (MECA) - Live Performance by Generation Alpha Immigrants
MECA art and music class students will perform live music, songs, drama, and dances for the audience.

Music to Free - Handbell Concerts
Music to Free will present a Christmas concert and a spring concert demonstrating how handbell music has expanded beyond traditional church settings in the last 20 years due to the creativity of handbell composers and arrangers.

Next Reflex – Flight
In the fall and spring in Fairfax City’s Van Dyck Park and Providence Park, Net Reflex offers outdoor performances with music, dance, storytelling, performance art, and theater. The migration of the performances provides a sampling of creativity in a non-traditional, accessible setting.

Shoestring Theatre Company – The Tuesday Afternoon Meeting of the Saturday Morning Garden Club
This fun, light-hearted tale introduces the Saturday Morning Garden Club of Big Stone Gap, a century-old community group steeped in traditions beloved by its members. As the town’s biggest event approaches, however, the club’s dwindling membership may need to make some changes to be a part of the celebration — or anything else.

Commission on the Arts project support grants fund arts-related activities that do not receive direct grants from the Fairfax City Council.

The City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts was established in 1979 to encourage, promote and provide opportunities for artistic expression by and enrichment of the community through funding, information, encouragement, exhibits, education, and coordination. Information: fairfaxva.gov/culturalarts

This press release was produced by the City of Fairfax. The views expressed here are the author’s own.