DCA announces 21 arts, history and cultural grants
For Immediate Release December 28, 2007
(DES MOINES, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs today announced it has awarded 21 grants totaling $43,530 to support quality of life efforts in Iowa communities.
DCA received 51 eligible grant applications requesting $116,035 during the first year of the Small Operating Support program, which is designed to help small and mid-sized arts, history and cultural organizations with operational expenses. Applicants may apply for no more than five percent of their previous year’s operating budget, up to a maximum of $5,000.
“These grants help to build our state’s cultural infrastructure in small ways that make a big difference to arts, history and cultural organizations throughout Iowa,” said Cyndi Pederson, director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. “We would like to strengthen our support of Iowa’s cultural infrastructure more broadly, but we are limited to the resources made available to us.”
Grant recipients may use the funds for expenditures occurring Jan. 1-June 30, 2008, including personnel, equipment purchases, new member challenge drives to match membership dues, software purchases, staff training or marketing and promotional expenses. The SOS grant funds may not be used for capital expenses or for political lobbying activities, or as matching funds for activities already receiving funds from another DCA grant program.
More information about the SOS grant program is available at www.culturalaffairs.org. Following is the list of this year’s SOS grant recipients announced today:
(City)
(Organization)
(Grant Amount)
(Purpose)
Amana
Amana Colonies Historical Site Foundation
$3,450
SOS funding will provide administration and staffing support to further the foundation’s mission of preserving historically important buildings and sites within the Amana Colonies National Historic Landmark.
Ankeny
Ankeny Arts Center
$1,690
SOS funding will be used to purchase a laptop and LCD projector. These items will allow the Ankeny Art Center to deliver PowerPoint presentations throughout the community to increase recognition of the Art Center’s importance in community arts.
Bonaparte
Bonaparte Main Street
$900
SOS funding to help with manager’s salary expenses and free up funds for the purchase of a sound system.
Boone
Boone County Historical Society
$3,500
SOS funding will be used for a publicity campaign to promote a reenactment of the 1908 Boone Suffrage Parade, and to print and distribute promotional brochures about the Boone County Historical Society’s sites and the newly acquired Mamie Doud Eisenhower Birthplace.
Clear Lake
Central Gardens of North Iowa, Inc.
$1,800
Due to the complexity of fundraising activities, Central Gardens needs high quality financial services. SOS funding will be applied towards the bookkeeping expenses to be able to maintain the trust in their organization.
Corning
French Icarian Colony Foundation
$1,370
SOS funding will be used to purchase a new printer that can scan, produce archival quality documents as well as print photos from a digital camera and to redesign the Icaria website to promote new programs, services and events to schools and group tour leaders.
Des Moines
Historic East Village, Inc.
$1,427
SOS funding will be used to help redesign the website to provide vital information on the historic downtown neighborhood.
Dubuque
Dubuque County Fine Arts
$2,320
SOS funding will help the organization become an integral part of the community’s renaissance through the development of a Web site and by hiring a consultant to give guidance on long range planning, fundraising and public relations.
Grinnell
Grinnell Area Arts Council
$1,400
SOS funding will be used to create an Arts Alliance in Grinnell, coordinate the activities of the various arts groups and individual artists in and around Grinnell, and create a comprehensive funding program for the arts in Grinnell.
Iowa City
Habeas Corpus
$1,700
Habeas Corpus will use SOS funding for the cost of utilities, rehearsal space and rent.
Marshalltown
Central Iowa Art Association
$1,760
SOS funding will help pay rising studio rent to relieve an immediate budget crunch, and allow continued current programming and time to seek new donors and expand current donor relationships.
Marshalltown
Marshalltown Community Theater
$1,750
SOS funding will be used to install a wireless intercom system at the Marshalltown Community Theatre.
Marshalltown
Marshall County Arts and Culture Alliance, Inc.
$2,825
SOS funding will allow the purchase of a laptop computer with capacity to run the various functions of operating a non-profit business.
Mason City
Mason City Historic Preservation
$250
SOS funding is for marketing the 2008 National Preservation Month activities, including updated posters featuring the community’s National Register listed properties and districts.
Ottumwa
Wapello County Historical Society
$4,970
SOS funding will allow the Wapello County Historical Society to purchase a new security system.
Pella
Pella Shakespeare Company
$522
SOS funding will be used to purchase a portable sound system that enhances outdoor productions so elderly audience members can more easily understand the richness of language and word play.
St. Lucas
St. Lucas Historical Society
$1,750
SOS funding will be used to purchase library cataloging computer software and to assist with utilities in the1911 school building were the historical society is located.
Spencer
Iowa Lakes Resource Conservation & Development
$2,700
SOS funding will assist in hiring an architectural historian to assist communities in accessing cultural resources that are historic and that contribute to the distinctive character of a town’s history.
Spencer
Parker Historical Society
$2,750
Parker Historical Society will use SOS funding for website upgrades, computer software and staff salaries.
Webster City
All Cultures Equal
$3,446
SOS funding will be used for the help of a professional facilitator to develop a financial plan to build organizational capacity and community support.
Williams
Hemken Collection Foundation
$1,250
SOS funding will be used for advertising in Midwest publications that reach a wide audience and increase exposure of the Hemken Collection auto museum.
The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs is responsible for developing the state’s interest in the areas of the arts, history and other cultural matters with the advice and assistance from its two divisions: the State Historical Society of Iowa and the Iowa Arts Council. The DCA preserves, researches, interprets and promotes an awareness and understanding of local, state and regional history and stimulates and encourages the study and presentation of the performing and fine arts and public interest and participation in them. It implements tourism-related art and history projects as directed by the general assembly and designs a comprehensive, statewide, long-range plan with the assistance of the Iowa Arts Council to develop the arts in Iowa. More information about DCA is available at www.culturalaffairs.org.
