The Earlville Opera House (EOH) is pleased to accept the invitation by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to administer the Broome, Chenango & Otsego Decentralization Program, effective July 1, 2020, for arts and cultural grants available in 2021.
Founded in 1977, the Decentralization Program (DEC) was developed to ensure that New York State's cultural funding reaches every part of the state. Decentralization has since become one of the most effective means of making arts support available to geographically, economically, and ethnically diverse segments of the state's population. The program serves each of the state's 62 counties by offering annual grants up to $5k each to non-profit organizations, artists and collectives for cultural and artistic public programming. EOH DEC grant opportunities include Community Arts Grants and Arts Education Grants.
The DEC program has been administered in Chenango County since 1986 and was formerly managed at the Chenango Arts Council by EOH’s current Executive Director, Michelle Connelly. Connelly grew the program over twenty years from $13k to $130k, increasing DEC’s service area from Chenango County into Broome and then Otsego County at the invitation of NYSCA. Connelly leveraged private funding from the Hoyt Foundation in Binghamton to combine with NYSCA funding for additional cultural development support in Broome County, a state-wide example. To date, DEC has re-granted well over a million dollars into the tri-county service area to foster the arts and public arts engagement.
As stated by Connelly, “The DEC Program enables cultural development in the most rural and impoverished pockets of our service area, bringing arts and culture to populations who may have little or no access to these humanities. The program fosters growth and capacity of local nonprofits and cultivates careers for emerging and established artists. Most importantly, DEC supports meaningful public arts engagement and youth arts education opportunities that assist individuals in connecting with themselves and others through the arts. As a result, DEC is a community capacity builder as well as a driver for economic development in our region.”
Connelly added that “Assuming administration of the DEC Program is a most welcome addition to the programs and services offered by the Earlville Opera House Multi-Arts Center. We look forward to reestablishing the program in order to provide the most professional technical assistance to the regional arts field as possible”.
The Earlville Opera House was founded in 1972 as a non-profit community service organization promoting the arts in rural Central New York by offering programs of cultural, educational and historical significance. Inclusive in the organization’s mission is to preserve the architectural and historic integrity of the EOH, a unique second-story theater constructed in 1892. Key EOH programs include a wide range of eclectic culturally diverse visual and performing arts programs represented through rotating gallery exhibitions featuring the works of local, regional and national artists; a live performance series presenting shows ranging from community theatre to nationally renowned touring musicians; arts workshops; classes and arts education opportunities for all populations. The EOH was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Watch for more information coming on the DEC Program including 2021 grant guidelines and application materials. To apply for the new job opening for Decentralization Program Coordinator, visit: www.earlvilleoperahouse.com. No phone calls.