NORWICH – The Chenango County Council of the Arts is pleased to announce the allocation of $62,500 in cultural funding to 29 non-profit organizations through the Broome & Chenango Decentralization (DEC) Grant Program, and $4,500 to two artists through the Individual Artist (IA) Grant Program, both decentralized programs of the New York State Council on the Arts. In addition to this, a presentation of the Russell J. Perlman Award of Excellence will be made to the Otselic Valley Improvement and Preservation Association for proposing the “Most Outstanding Project” in Chenango County for 2008. An awards ceremony took place at the Martin W. Kappel Theater, 27 West Main Street, Norwich, on March 6.

The Broome & Chenango DEC and IA Programs serve as a catalyst for local cultural development exposing children, adults and seniors to events that entertain, educate and enrich their lives. Continuous increased funding provided through this program has helped to strengthen our communities by reaching the most rural of our townships and villages, providing increased access to a greater quality of life for residents. The DEC Program operates annually and panel nominations are accepted on a rolling basis. For additional information, please call the Arts Council office at 336-2787/ARTS or visit www.chenangoarts.org.

Congratulations to the following 2008 grant recipients:

Binghamton Youth Symphony

Project: Introduction to the Orchestra Concert

March 11 Anderson Center, Osterhout Concert Theater, BU

Broome County Public Library

Project: Come Together and Tell Your Stories

April 14-17

Center For Gender, Art & Culture

Project: Workshop Series- Our Voices

Jan.- Dec. 08- 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month

City of Binghamton

Project: Brown Bag Music Series

Fridays, June 13- Aug. 29, Farmer’s Market, Collier St., Binghamton

Endicott Performing Arts Center, Inc.

Project: Rock Opera “Cuffed”

July 11-13, 18-20, EPAC Theater, Endicott

Endwell Community Chorus

Project: Concert Series

May 17, June 24, December 8, Northminster Presbyterian Church, Endwell, Highland Park, Endwell, Oakdale Mall, Johnson City

The Madrigal Choir of Binghamton

Project: “Out of Africa”

April 19, Binghamton HS, Helen Foley Theater

Phelps Mansion Museum

Project: Second Sunday at the Phelps

Feb. 10, Mar. 9, Ap. 13, Sept. 14, Oct. 12, Nov. 9, Phelps Mansion, Bing.

Southern Tier Chapter of the NYS Old Time Fiddlers Assn.

Project: Fiddlin’s Fun Festival

June 14, Roberson Museum and Science Center, Bing.

Vestal Museum

Project: “Through the Looking Glass”

May- Sept. 2008, Vestal Museum

Afton Historical Society

Project: “Sweet Summertime Jazz Concert”

August 23, pavilion next Afton Museum

Chenango County Agricultural Society, Inc.

Project: Norwich Family Bluegrass Festival/Bluegrass Concert in HS

July 24-27, CC Fairgrounds, 168 E. Main St., Norwich

Chenango County Blues Association

Project: Chenango Blues Association Summer Music Series

7/10 at 6 on the Square, Oxford, 7/17, 7/24, 7/31 at West Side Park, Norwich, 8/5 at CC Fair, 8/15 at YMCA Camp, Smyrna, Vet’s Home, Oxford, Guernsey Library, Norwich and CC Fairgrounds, 8/16 at CC Fairgrounds.

City of Norwich

Project: Norwich City Band Concerts in the Park

July- Aug. 2008, Downtown Norwich- East Park

Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival, Inc.

Project: The 14th Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival

Sept. 6 & 7, Downtown Norwich- East and West Parks

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County

Project: Youth Theater Experience

Feb. 18, Martin W. Kappel Theater, Norwich

Coventry Town Museum Association

Project: Coventry Civil War Veterans Commemorated in Music, Song, Story and Spirit, Coventry Methodist Church & Chapel, Coventry Union Cemetery and Burial Ground, Coventry Town Hall

October 12, 2 p.m.

Episcopal Church of the Epiphany

Project: Voices of the Tabernacle Singing “The Best of Broadway”

May 4, Dec. 6, Episcopal Church, Sherburne

Guernsey Memorial Library

Project: Tap Dancing Troubadours of Vaudeville/Reading is Magic: Mike Randall & Friends

July 14, 3:30 p.m./Aug. 15, 2 p.m., GML, Norwich

McDonough Improvement Committee

Project: McDonough Summer Music/Theater Programs

July 12/July 24, Town Park/McDonough Fire Station

Mid-York Concert Band

Project: MYCB, Mid-York Shining Brass Band Concert Series

June 14/December 6, UCC Sherburne/UCC, Norwich

Moore Memorial Library

Project: “Catch the Reading Bug”

July 1- July 31, Moore Memorial Library, Greene

New Berlin Art Forum

Project: Performing Arts Series

3/15- Sons of Ireland & Claddagh Ring Irish Dancers- UVCS, 4/12- Judy Goddard- Terrace Heights, NB, 5/8- Andrew J. Pinard- UVCS, 12/6- Hey, Nunnie, Nunnie!- UVCS

New Berlin Library

Project: “Autumn Artists”

Sept- Oct., 2008, NB Library

Otselic Valley Improvement & Preservation Assn.

Project: “Arts in the Valley”

5/3, 5/26, 6/14, 7/12, 7/13, 7/26, 8/9, 8/23- Otselic Park, So. Ot. Fire House, OVCS

* VOTED MOST OUTSTANDING PROJECT FOR 2008 *

Sherburne Music-Theater Society

Project: “SMTS 40th Anniversary Retrospective and Review”

August 2008, SE Middle School

Sherburne Public Library

Project: New Traditions in Sherburne

July 12, 7 p.m.- Roger’s Nature Ctr., Aug. 6- Sherburne Public Lib./Gains Park

6 On the Square

Project: Village of Oxford Bicentennial Musical Events

July 19, 20 Lafayette Park, Oxford

Smyrna Citizen’s Band

Project: Summer Concert Series

July 7-Aug. 11, Mondays- 7:30pm, Downtown Smyrna

Individual Artist Recipients:

Yvonne Lucia of Binghamton

Project: “The Welcome Table”: public art installation

Members of the public will be invited to create a place setting in honor of a person they admire, either from family or history, who embodies the ideals of inclusiveness, acceptance of diversity and tolerance in her or her life. The medium will be collage, and plates in various sizes, shapes and colors will be provided, as well as a large variety of eclectic materials to choose from for decoration and embellishment of the plate, glass and placemat. Participants will be encouraged to incorporate their own personally meaningful objects as well. A large, round table will be created with the completed settings, and will be installed in City Plaza Gallery in Binghamton’s City Hall. The exhibit will open Dec. 1, 2008, and will culminate with a celebration on Dec. 31 in conjunction with First Night Binghamton 2009. Announcement of the project will begin in March, with 3 public workshops taking place June – August. These workshops will be 3 hours long, and each held at a different time to accommodate all schedules. On the Untied Way Day of Caring, a 6 hour long workshop will be offered, and 3 additional weekend workshops will be offered in Sept- November, each being 8 hours long, with participants signing up for a time slot. The artist anticipates at least 100 community members will participate, and has proven successful experiences with similar large-scale public projects. The concept behind this is for the public to engage interactively in the process of creating collage art together while gaining personal growth through expression which can foster a greater understanding of oneself and others.

Bonnie Gale of Norwich

Project: “Community Living Willow Installation”

Residents will be engaged in the design, planting and maintenance of a community living willow structure in the visible public Guernsey Park. The project will commence in March with community planning meetings (Sats., March 22 and April 5) at the Guernsey Library, and will include an introduction to willow basketry as well as a site design process. Structure design and location will be decided collectively. Installation will occur May 9-11 and include site preparation, rod planting, weaving, tieing and watering. A meeting in August will develop a pruning and maintenance plan. The public will be involved in all stages of this hands-on design and building, hence learning about willow weaving through the creative process involved.