Arts Council Distributes $27,000 to SWLA arts organizations

The Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana, the distributing agency for the City of Lake Charles Partnership Assistance Grant Program, is pleased to announce its 2012 grant awards. The program is made possible by the City of Lake Charles and provides a total of $27,000 to arts organizations domiciled within the City of Lake Charles.

 The Lake Charles grant program, which began in 1983, is designed for projects that are art related or for the stabilization of art organizations.  This year, a total of twenty seven organizations were awarded funding. Some of the recipients include: Artists Civic Theatre & Studio (ACTS); Black Heritage Festival; Lake Charles Community Band; Bulber Youth Orchestra; Children’s Theatre Company; Louisiana Choral Foundation; the Children’s Museum; and Cajun French Music Association.

Some of the project that will receive assistance are Dancing Classrooms; “I Hear a Symphony” by the Lake Charles Symphony; “Christmas in Louisiana” by the Lake Charles Civic Ballet; Art on Wheels Festival; “Premieres of Louisiana Women” by the Itinerant Theatre; Storyteller Donald Savis by the Calcasieu Parish Library; The Down Town Lake Charles Crawfish Festival by the Eljay Foundation; BayouCon 2012 by the Southwest Louisiana Science Education Foundation; “Culture Fest Louisiana” by Common Ground; Louisiana Master Gardner’s; and the Lake Charles Film Festival.

“We are committed to making arts enrichment opportunities available to all Lake Charles Citizens,” said Mayor Roach.  “The Lake Charles Partnership Grant has helped tie together the power of the arts and culture as development tools that unite communities, create economic opportunity and improve the quality of life. The City of Lake Charles has an extensive history of supporting the arts through this grant opportunity for city residents.”

As well as greatly improving the quality of life for the residents of Lake Charles, one of the grant’s main goals is to ensure the stabilization of arts and humanities organizations through increased attendance and engagement of community members in local projects. “The arts are the guiding principle at the Arts and Humanities Council,” said Jackie Dowden, Community Development Coordinator.  “These projects demonstrate the imaginative and innovative capacities of artists and arts organizations to enhance the quality of life in Lake Charles.” 

For more information on this grant or other grant related opportunities, contact the Arts Council at (337) 439-2787.