HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2013-01-28 arts funding
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
Leesburg Public Art Commission Invites Local Arts
Organizations to Submit Requests for Funding
Town to match state grant funds with local funding for a total of $10,000
Leesburg, VA (January 28, 2013) – The Leesburg Public Art Commission invites local arts
organizations to submit requests for funding. Request letters must be received by February 19,
2013. Funded arts activities must take place in the Town of Leesburg during Fiscal Year 2014
(July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014).
The Town of Leesburg will apply for $5,000 of state funding from the Virginia Commission for
the Arts’ Local Government Challenge Grant Program, and match it with $5,000 of local funds.
The total amount of $10,000 will be distributed to independent arts organizations to support
arts activities within the Town.
Interested arts organizations should submit a request letter to the Leesburg Public Art
Commission, outlining the amount requested, the arts activity that the funding will support and
the audience(s) that will be served, along with a description of the arts organizations. Eligible
applicants must be organizations whose primary purpose is the arts (production, presentation
or support of dance, literary arts, media arts, music, theater, or visual or related
arts), that are incorporated in Virginia, and have their headquarters and home seasons, or
activities equivalent to a home season, in the state. Funding cannot be provided for payment
to performers for specific performances.
Request letters must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 to be considered.
Letters should be addressed to the Public Art Commission, Attn: Local Government Challenge
Grant, and can be mailed to 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20176, emailed to
bfields@leesburgva.gov or dropped off at Town Hall.
“In the past, the Town has distributed this funding to the Bluemont Concert Series,” explained
Pamela Butler, chair of the Public Art Commission. “However, with the establishment of the
Public Art Commission and the explosion of new arts organizations in Town, we decided to
create a competitive process, to offer other organizations an opportunity to receive funding.”
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TOL PR 2013‐01‐28 Arts Funding
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“We won’t know how the money will be distributed until we see the requests,” she continued.
“We could divide up the money in any of a number of ways. Five organizations could receive
$2,000 each, for example. Or one organization could receive $5,000 and five organizations
$1,000 each. We want to do the most good we can with this limited amount of money.”
The Public Art Commission will review the funding requests at their March 4, 2013 meeting and
then make a recommendation to the Leesburg Town Council at their March 12, 2013 Council
Meeting on the distribution of the funding. The Town Council will make the final
determination, dependent on receipt of the matching state funds. The deadline for the Town
to apply for the Local Government Challenge Grant is April 1, 2013.
For more information about the Virginia Commission for the Arts’ Local Government Challenge
Grant program, please visit www.arts.virginia.gov/grants_local.html.
Contact:
Betsy Fields
Research & Communications Manager
bfields@leesburgva.gov
703‐771‐2734
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