NORWICH – The Chenango County Council of the Arts will allocate $54,500 in cultural funding to 37 non-profit organizations on Thursday. The allocations are made through the Broome & Chenango Decentralization (DEC) Grant Program through the New York State Council on the Arts. Two artists will also receive $4,500 through the Individual Artist (IA) Grant Program. In addition to this, a presentation of the Russell J. Perlman Award of Excellence will be made to the Monday Evening Musical Club for proposing the “Most Outstanding Project” in Chenango County for 2009. The awards ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Martin W. Kappel Theater, 27 West Main St. The public is invited to attend.

“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,” said Arts Council Development Coordinator Michelle Connelly. “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.”