DATE: Friday, July 11, 1997                 TAG: 9707090172

SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 09   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   74 lines

GRANTS HELP CONTINUE LOCAL ARTS

The Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission and two Chesapeake based performing groups recently received grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

The city's Fine Arts Commission received a $4,500 local government challenge grant from the VCA. This year's award is up $500 from last year's grant of $4,000 and up from 1995's grant of $3,900.

All cities in Hampton Roads received similar grants of $4,500 from the VCA.

In addition, the Chesapeake Civic Chorus, a group of citizen volunteer singers led by musical director Geraldine T. Boone, received a $500 grant from the VCA; and the Hardwick Chamber Ensemble, a classical/contemporary music chamber group based in Chesapeake, was also awarded a $500 grant.

Both groups will use the funds to offset performing and traveling expenses and to purchase music or needed performing equipment.

Naturally, the Fine Arts Commission was delighted to receive more money this year than was awarded in 1996, said Chesapeake Fine Arts Coordinator L. Randy Harrison.

``The maximum we can ask for from the state is $5,000,'' she said. ``With that money we have to prove to the Virginia Commission for the Arts that we are using this money to bring in performing and arts groups.''

The money received from the state commission, of which 12 percent comes from the National Endowment for the Arts, is a ``challenge grant,'' meaning that the local government matches the money received from the VCA, Harrison explained.

``Once we get the state grant we then notify City Council and ask that matching money be appropriated,'' Harrison said. ``We are committed to utilizing the money to supplement grants we give out.''

Harrison said the money will be used, for example, to bring in such popular performing groups as The Tidewater Winds for summer concerts or bringing Young Audiences performing groups into Chesapeake's schools, just to name a few.

``We're trying to look at new and innovative ways to use the money,'' Harrison said.

Harrison said that grants given to other South Hampton Roads arts groups will benefit Chesapeake folks as well. Many performing/arts groups use their grant money to stage productions in other cities, including Chesapeake. Couple the money they receive from the VCA with the grant money offered to these groups by the Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission and the city benefits with visits from many music, performing and dramatic organizations.

The VCA awarded 106 Virginia towns, counties and cities $381,750 through its Local Government Challenge Grant Program. Each locality in turn then matches these dollars and then awards the total to arts groups in its area or region.

Grant money from the Fine Arts Commission was used to fund the very successful ``Shakespeare in the Grove'' event that brought the Bard's ``As You Like It'' to hundreds of theater lovers at the Chesapeake campus of Tidewater Community College on June 26-29.

Harrison said the outdoor Shakespeare presentation - which used the finest amateur actors, student actors and high school drama teachers in the city - was a rousing success with young and old enjoying one of Shakespeare's more popular comedies. Reports are that in excess of 500 people came out for both of the weekend productions.

Here is a list of some of the top South Hampton Roads performing/arts groups (with grant money recently received from the VCA) that regularly perform in the city, thanks to money from the VCA and the city: Actors' Theatre, $1,600; d'Art Center, $10,500; Generic Theater, $4,100; Hurrah Players, $14,200; Tidewater Winds, $5,600; Virginia Symphony, $90,800; and Young Audiences of Virginia, $29,400.

This year the Virginia Commission for the Arts awarded more than $2.5 million to 163 nonprofit arts organizations, schools and school systems and local government units or agencies.

The program is designed to continue, strengthen and expand the programs of artistic merit.

According to a VCA press release, grant applicants request a portion of their total cash income in their most recently completed fiscal year. The Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission, as well as the other 162 others, were evaluated competitively on the basis of artistic quality and effective management.

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