State Awards $40,000 to Seven Middletown Arts Nonprofits and Leaders

Seven city groups who promote the arts have received a total of $40,000 in Arts Catalyze Placemaking grants from the Department of Economic & Community Development’s Connecticut Office of the Arts.

Organizations who received funds are: the City of Middletown Arts & Culture, Northern Middlesex YMCA Ingersoll Center for Children, Greater Middletown Concert Association, The Buttonwood Tree, Oddfellows Playhouse, Wesleyan Potters and the Wesleyan University Center for the Arts.

The grants for Middletown arts are in the categories of Arts Leadership and Supporting Arts in Place. These programs are funded in part by state appropriations from the National Endowment for the Arts. 

The YMCA and Wesleyan each received $10,000 Arts Leadership funds and Supporting Arts in Place grants were awarded to the city's arts office and Oddfellows ($3,847 each), GMAC and NEAR ($3,462 each), and Wesleyan Potters ($4,232).

State Rep. Joe Serra welcomed the approval of state funds.

“We have some of the finest art programs here in Middletown and I am thrilled that these grants will assist in our mission of keeping the arts alive,” said Serra. 

Supporting Arts in Place awards matching grants to eligible arts organizations and municipal arts offices to strengthen the state's nonprofit arts industry. Arts Leadership fives six-month grants ranging from $1,500 to $25,000 for the planning and/or implementation of arts-based creative place-making projects. 

A total of 93 grants were awarded statewide, totaling $831,989.31. The grants ranged from $1,500-$25,000.