(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that 154 nonprofit arts organizations in Connecticut will be receiving $9 million in grants this month under a program initiated by his administration to provide support to the state’s arts community amid the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID Relief Fund for the Arts, which is administered by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), was created to support arts nonprofits that:
- Are performing arts centers, schools of the arts, or performing groups for whom grants will make a difference in terms of survival or rehiring; and
- Have had to curtail operations for a period of time due to the pandemic and which have had limited ability to reopen due to pandemic restrictions or have had to pivot their service delivery due to pandemic restrictions.
Qualifying organizations will receive a base grant of $5,000. For organizations that have raised funds between March 10 and November 1, 2020, the program will offer a supplemental match of up to 50 percent of contributed income during that period. The program uses federal CARES Act funding from the state’s Coronavirus Relief Fund.
“Connecticut’s arts community provides an incredible amount of good for our state and supports thousands of jobs,” Governor Lamont said. “Like nearly every segment of our communities, many of nonprofit arts organizations are struggling to recover from its impact. These grants will provide some needed support so that these groups can continue providing the services in our state that on which many depend.”
“The year 2020 has presented unprecedented challenges to Connecticut’s arts organizations and they have risen to the occasion in every possible way,” Liz Shapiro, DECD’s Director of Arts, Preservation, and Museums, said. “These organizations play a critical role in shaping the character of our communities, providing forums for engaging public dialogue, and positively impacting the economy. While we are thrilled to offer this support, it is important to understand that this funding, while certainly helpful, does not solve these organizations’ financial challenges. I strongly encourage residents and donors to do everything they can to support these organizations in the months ahead.”
The recipients are as follows:
- 1214 Foundation (aka NewArts), Newtown, $11,700
- ACT of Connecticut, Ridgefield, $221,000
- ActUp Theater, Hartford, $12,700
- American Baroque Orchestra, North Haven, $5,000
- Amity Teen Center, Woodbridge, $11,500
- Architecture Resource Center, New Haven, $7,700
- ARTFARM, Middletown, $7,100
- Artists Collective, Hartford, $14,700
- Artreach, Norwich, $9,400
- Arts Escape, Southbury, $6,800
- Arts for Learning Connecticut, Hamden, $57,400
- ASAP!, Washington Depot, $52,100
- BackCountry Concerts (aka BackCountry Jazz), Greenwich, $31,400
- Ballet Theatre Company, West Hartford, $18,700
- Broadway Method Academy, Fairfield, $8,600
- Brookfield Craft Center, Brookfield, $43,200
- Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center, Middletown, $8,600
- CAPA/Shubert Theatre, New Haven, $118,800
- Cappella Cantorum, Madison, $6,900
- CAST Children’s Theater, Manchester, $15,700
- Center Stage Theatre, Shelton, $32,100
- Charter Oak Performing Arts (aka Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus), New Haven, $10,000
- Community Music School, Centerbrook, $19,900
- CONCORA, Hartford, $14,000
- Connecticut Academy for the Arts, Torrington, $9,700
- Connecticut Ballet, Hartford, $18,200
- Connecticut Chamber Choir, Trumbull, $5,600
- Connecticut Dance School, Fairfield, $9,700
- Connecticut Hurricanes Drum & Bugle Corps, Seymour, $11,300
- Connecticut Players Foundation (aka Long Wharf Theatre), New Haven, $551,400
- Connecticut Valley Symphony Orchestra, Windsor, $6,700
- Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, New Britain, $18,100
- Creative Arts Workshop, New Haven, $77,300
- Crescendo, Lakeville, $7,600
- Crystal Theatre, Norwalk, $9,000
- Cuatro Puntos, Hartford, $17,100
- Curtain Call, Stamford, $81,300
- Danbury Music Centre, Danbury, $38,000
- Darien Arts Center, Darien, $41,700
- Downtown Cabaret Theatre, Bridgeport, $39,200
- Eastern Connecticut Ballet, East Lyme, $21,600
- Eastern Connecticut Symphony, New London, $56,700
- Eli Whitney Workshop, Hamden, $84,000
- Elm Shakespeare Company, New Haven, $45,200
- Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, Waterford, $376,200
- Fairfield County Children's Choir, Fairfield, $8,100
- Fairfield Theatre Company, Fairfield, $106,400
- Farmington Valley Arts Center, Avon, $15,400
- Five Points Center for the Visual Arts, Torrington, $42,700
- Flock Theatre, New London, $59,600
- Friends of Madison Youth, Madison, $5,800
- Friends of the Levitt Pavilion, Westport, $55,200
- Garde Arts Center, New London, $182,800
- Goodspeed Opera House Foundation, East Haddam, $532,100
- Greater Bridgeport Symphony, Bridgeport $43,000
- Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestras, Fairfield, $44,400
- Greater Middletown Chorale, Middletown, $13,800
- Greenwich Art Society, Greenwich, $11,500
- Greenwich Arts Council, Greenwich, $14,000
- Greenwich Symphony Orchestra, Greenwich, $19,300
- Grumbling Gryphons Traveling Children's Theater, West Cornwall, $6,300
- Guilford Art Center, Guilford, $63,300
- HartBeat Ensemble, Hartford, $23,700
- Hartford Artisans Weaving Center, Hartford, $26,600
- Hartford Chorale, Hartford, $15,100
- Hartford Performs, Hartford, $72,100
- Hartford Stage , Hartford, $542,200
- Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Hartford, $326,600
- Horace Bushnell Memorial Hall Corporation, Hartford, $480,900
- Hygienic Art, New London, $13,700
- INTEMPO, Stamford, $63,600
- Ivoryton Playhouse, Ivoryton, $125,900
- JIB Productions (aka Play With Your Food), Westport, $11,900
- Judy Dworin Performance Project, Hartford, $37,000
- Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, Old Saybrook, $111,300
- Klein Memorial Auditorium Foundation, Bridgeport, $58,500
- Landmark Community Theatre, Thomaston, $29,900
- Legacy Theatre, Branford, $17,700
- Litchfield Performing Arts, Litchfield, $26,100
- Little Theatre of Manchester, Manchester, $30,800
- Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, Old Lyme, $23,200
- Madison Lyric Stage, Madison, $12,200
- Main Street Ballet Company, Woodbury, $6,200
- Mariachi Academy of New England, Hartford, $7,200
- Maurice C. La Grua Center, Stonington, $38,000
- Milford Arts Council, Milford, $24,700
- MOCA WESTPORT, Westport, $97,700
- Music Haven, New Haven, $101,100
- Music Mountain, Falls Village, $23,000
- Music on the Hill, Wilton, $13,200
- Music Theatre of Connecticut, Norwalk, $44,600
- Mystic Ballet, Stonington, $48,000
- Neighborhood Music School, New Haven, $166,900
- Neighborhood Studios of Fairfield County, Bridgeport, $30,900
- New Canaan Society for the Arts (aka Carriage Barn Arts Center), New Canaan, $15,600
- New Haven Ballet, New Haven, $13,900
- New Haven Chorale, New Haven, $30,200
- New Haven Symphony Orchestra, New Haven, $219,300
- Newington Children's Theatre Company, Newington, $8,300
- Norwalk Symphony Society, Norwalk, $25,100
- Norwalk Youth Symphony, Norwalk, $14,600
- Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory, Torrington, $31,000
- Nutmeg Symphony Orchestra, Bristol, $10,000
- Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater, Middletown, $28,900
- Open Arts Alliance, Greenwich, $9,700
- Opera House Players, Enfield,$6,000
- Opera Theater of Connecticut, Clinton, $9,100
- Our House Meriden, Meriden, $7,600
- Palace Theater Group, Waterbury, $149,700
- Pantochino Productions, Milford, $13,000
- Pilobolus, Washington Depot, $97,300
- Playhouse Theatre Group, West Hartford, $74,500
- Real Art Ways, Hartford, $153,700
- Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance, Ridgefield, $30,400
- Ridgefield Guild of Artists, Ridgefield, $14,300
- Ridgefield Playhouse for Movies and the Performing Arts, Ridgefield, $186,400
- Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, Ridgefield, $25,000
- Ridgefield Workshop for the Performing Arts (aka Ridgefield Theater Barn), Ridgefield,$16,300
- Rowayton Arts Center, Norwalk, $17,300
- Seven Angels Theatre, Waterbury, $37,000
- Shakesperience Productions, Waterbury, $26,200
- Sherman Chamber Ensemble, New Milford, $8,600
- Sherman Players, Sherman, $6,300
- Silvermine Guild of Artists, New Canaan, $57,900
- Simsbury Performing Arts Center, Simsbury, $19,000
- Sonia Plumb Dance Company, Hartford, $21,600
- Southington Community Cultural Arts, Southington, $36,200
- Square Foot Theatre Company, Wallingford, $9,500
- Stamford Center for the Arts, Stamford, $50,000
- Stamford Symphony, Stamford, $185,600
- Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic, Old Greenwich, $6,600
- Summer Theatre of New Canaan, New Canaan, $46,600
- Thames Valley Music School, New London, $11,200
- TheaterWorks Hartford, Hartford, $264,900
- Theatre of Northeastern Connecticut (aka The Bradley Playhouse), Putnam, $17,800
- Thrown Stone Theatre Company, Ridgefield, $5,900
- Treetops Chamber Music Society, Stamford, $8,100
- Tri State Center for the Arts, Sharon, $58,900
- Trinity-on-Main, New Britain, $13,900
- Vernon Community Arts Center (aka Arts Center East), Vernon, $9,500
- Village Center for the Arts, New Milford, $16,600
- Voice of Art, Cheshire, $7,700
- Wall Street Theater, Norwalk, $6,800
- Wallingford Community Theatre, Wallingford, $8,400
- Warner Theatre, Torrington, $193,600
- Waterbury Ballet Company (aka Brass City Ballet), Middlebury, $14,300
- Waterbury Symphony Orchestra, Waterbury, $57,000
- Wesleyan Potters, Middletown, $15,800
- West Hartford Art League, West Hartford, $18,400
- Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra, Ridgefield, $14,900
- Westport Community Theatre, Westport, $5,500
- Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, $365,800
- Whitney Players, Hamden, $11,100
- Writer's Block Ink, New London, $11,100