See What North Kingstown Art Projects Will Benefit From State Grants

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI — The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) awarded grants to 93 art projects throughout the Ocean State.

RISCA officials said the purpose of the $452,206 in grants is to further advance arts and cultural activities throughout the state.

"On behalf of the State of Rhode Island, I welcome RISCA's continued investments in arts and culture, which are essential to the cultural, educational, health and well-being of Rhode Islanders," Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement. "We are pleased that the agency invested funding for arts workforce development, vital to the life of our creative economy. These grants remind us of how important it is to support the arts, which bring audiences to our town and city centers, and, in addition to enjoying the arts, fill our restaurants and shops."

Artists/organizations to receive grants in North Kingstown are included below. Included is also a description of the project from the respective artist or organization.

$8,000 for Davisville Middle School — Ninety seventh-grade students from DMS will enhance their understanding of Asian and African cultures by "traveling" down the Silk Road in 4-D: Dance, Drama, Drumming, and Design. Students will work with numerous artists totaling more than 80 contact hours in preparation for a 10-stall SILK ROAD MARKET and SHADOW PUPPET SHOW for the community.

$1,500 for Towards An Anti-Racist North Kingstown — TANK hosts the second We Are ALL Readers, a free annual book festival on April 1, 2023, that celebrates diverse children’s books. This literary event is a community collaboration between TANK and public and school libraries, children’s book authors and illustrators, and nonprofit organizations.

$12,500 for North Kingstown School Department — ATR Treehouse will provide a course with the goal of teaching students the basics of purpose, setup, and operation of lighting fixtures, microphones, speakers, and control system/mixing consoles. Those completing the course and passing an operations test will be hired by the district to provide technical services in the NKHS auditorium.

$1,500 for Ayumi Ishii — Ayumi Ishii will continue to expand on her ongoing two- and three-dimensional series with thermal paint which changes color with heat so that human exhalation can produce iMake Art Grantes that resemble clouds in the sky. Due to the nature of the mediums, finding a photographer was a challenge during the last two years, so she will catch up on documenting her portfolio.