Auburn Public Theater awarded more than $96,000 in state arts funding Wednesday night to artists and organizations across five Finger Lakes counties during its annual Statewide Community Regrants ceremony.
The theater distributed $96,037 through the New York State Council on the Arts program to 41 recipients in Cayuga, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, and Yates counties. The funding supports a wide range of arts and community projects, including theaters, libraries, museums, historical societies and local artists.
“We want to make sure that we keep spreading awareness about this program so that we can hopefully receive more funding to make this program more robust for more organizations and artists,” Dominic Gambiani, statewide community regrants coordinator at Auburn Public Theater, said during a celebration Wednesday night.
Gambiani said this year brought the largest number of applicants he has seen from Wayne and Yates counties during his four years working with the program.
“We know firsthand how important this money is for all of your projects,” Gambiani said. “A lot of the counties that we serve are very rural.”
He said the grants help support not only arts programming, but also economic growth in local communities.
Among the recipients was Sarah Andreacchi, a choreographer, registered somatic movement therapist, and performing arts coordinator at Cobblestone Arts Center. Andreacchi received funding for an interdisciplinary movement-based performance project that combines Tai Chi, sculpture, music, and community participation.
“When I got the grant, I was really touched,” Andreacchi said. “This is my first grant that I’ve received.”
Andreacchi said the grant process helped clarify both the artistic and community goals of the project.
“Answering the grant questions was very clarifying for me,” she said. “It helped me realize that bringing together collaborators and studying ancient forms can present something that’s pretty impactful for the community.”
Her project includes collaborations with a Tai Chi instructor, sculptor, and composer, along with workshops and performances involving community members and adults with disabilities.
Andreacchi said arts funding validates the work artists put into their projects.
“When you create something, you want it to have value,” she said. “So when you put a monetary value on it, it just kind of confirms and affirms [that] this is work. This is my work.”
The Statewide Community Regrants program is funded through the New York State Legislature and administered locally by Auburn Public Theater. For more information on how to apply for a grant and a full list of this year’s recipients visit the theater’s website.
