The Skidmore College Arts Planning Group has a new program designed to directly support arts organizations in the Saratoga Springs community, with over $42,000 in grants available for the 2017 calendar year.
Under the new program, 501(c)(3) nonprofit community arts organizations located in the Saratoga Springs area—including Greenfield, Malta, Ballston Spa, and contiguous communities—may apply for grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.
Officials said that to qualify, an organization’s primary activity must include the production and/or presentation of visual and/or performing arts, including music, dance, theater, art, literature, media and film. Projects must engage Skidmore students, faculty or staff in a significant way to further Skidmore’s mission of education and development in the arts. Funds can be used for artistic fees, materials used in production or performance, or as stipends for Skidmore student internships.
Organizations interested in applying for funds should send proposals in Word document format with exhibits to Paul Calhoun, Dean of Special Programs, via email at pcalhoun@skidmore.edu.
Proposals must be received by Jan. 31. The Skidmore Arts Planning Group will review all proposals, and decisions will be made by Feb. 28.
In the past, Skidmore has supported the work of community arts organizations, including Saratoga Arts Fest, Saratoga Shakespeare and Saratoga Film Forum.
“Funding from Skidmore allowed us to hire a part-time staffer to manage publicity, a critical function as we evolve our business model,” says Carol Maxwell, director of the Saratoga Film Forum. “The grant also funded some less traditional programming. We felt comfortable taking more artistic risk with that funding support.”
According to Barbara Opitz of Saratoga Shakespeare, Skidmore’s support “gave us not only the financial ability, but also the courage and confidence to expand our summer season of free, professional classic theatre to the Saratoga community.”
“Since my arrival on campus 10 years ago, I have been impressed by Skidmore’s commitment to community arts organizations in Saratoga Springs,” says Calhoun, dean of special programs. “This was manifested most clearly in our commitment to Saratoga Arts Fest, built to advance the visibility of the arts in Saratoga and bring community and arts organizations together.
“While we continue to support Arts Fest, we can do even more by directly contributing to the exciting new projects that artists in our region are constantly creating … I see this new fund as helping to achieve two of Skidmore’s important strategic objectives: integrated learning outcomes and outreach to the community.”
In accordance with Skidmore’s new strategic plan and recent re-accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the college has renewed its emphasis on integrative learning, which demands strategic collaboration across academic and administrative boundaries including those between the campus and the outside world, officials said. These new community arts grants will help Skidmore strengthen both integrative learning for its students and relationships with the greater Saratoga Springs community.
For more information about the program visit www.skidmore.edu/odsp/arts-grant/index.php.