Earlville Opera House (EOH) was recently awarded grant funding totaling $400,406 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). (Submitted photo)

EARLVILLE — Earlville Opera House (EOH) announced grant awards totaling $400,406 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). $30,000 is for Organizational Support to aid the recovery of the nonprofit arts and culture sector and will help support general operating expenses in 2023.

This most recent award comes soon after the announcement of a continuation in funding from NYSCA for the 2023 Broome, Chenango, and Otsego Statewide Community Regrants Program (SCR) in the amount of $370,406. Through this funding, grants up to $5,000 are available to non-profit organizations and artists for cultural initiatives in 2023 with a record breaking $217,500 available to grant.

Following New York State’s historic investment for the arts, NYSCA has awarded $90 million since the spring of 2022 to a record number of artists and organizations across the state.

Executive Director of the Earlville Opera House Michelle Connelly said, “We are pleased that NYSCA continues to recognize the achievements and leadership of the Earlville Opera House as we fulfill our mission to our communities through this challenging time for arts and culture. The celebration of EOH’s 50th anniversary in 2022 has been a testament to the decades of work that have positioned the Opera House as a beacon of stability, artistic excellence, and community service in Central New York and the Southern Tier.”

Governor Kathy Hochul said, “As a cultural capital of the world, New York State is strengthened by our expansive coverage of the arts across all 62 counties. This year's historic commitment to the arts sector will spur our continuing recovery from the pandemic and set the course for a stronger future."

NYSCA Executive Director Mara Manus said, “We are immensely grateful to Governor Hochul and the Legislature for their unprecedented investment of $240 million to support arts organizations across the state. New York State arts organizations such as Earlville Opera House are the cornerstone of our vibrant arts economy. As crucial drivers of our health and vitality, we are grateful to the unwavering dedication of arts workers across the state.”

NYSCA Chair Katherine Nicholls said, “On behalf of the entire Council, I congratulate Earlville Opera House on this grant award. Their creative work provides the benefits of the arts to both their community and all of New York. Arts organizations are essential, leading our tourism economy and fueling sectors such as hospitality, transit, and Main Streets across our state."

The Earlville Opera House (EOH) began serving as a focal point for community activities and the arts beginning in 1892. Following decades of neglect beginning in the 1950’s, EOH was reborn in 1972 as a not-for-profit, volunteer-based, community service organization promoting the arts in a rural region of central New York by offering programs of cultural, educational, and historical significance; and preserving and restoring the architectural and historic integrity of the Earlville Opera House, an unique second-story theater constructed in 1892.

In addition to performances, gallery exhibits, and classes for all ages, the EOH also administers the Statewide Community Regrants Program, which provides funding for artists and organizations in Broome, Chenango, and Otsego Counties. These funds are provided by the New York State Council on the Arts with additional support in Broome County from the Stewart W. and Willma C. Hoyt Foundation.

EOH is located at 18 East Main Street in the charming Village of Earlville, NY and is handicap accessible. For more information on our programs and services go to EarlvilleOperaHouse.com.

NYSCA preserves and advances the arts and culture that make New York State an exceptional place to live, work, and visit. NYSCA upholds the right of all New Yorkers to experience the vital contributions the arts make to our communities, education, economic development, and quality of life. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, NYSCA will award record funding in FY 2023, providing support across the full breadth of the arts.

NYSCA further advances New York's creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, NYSCA is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch.

For more information on NYSCA, please visit Arts.NY.gov, and follow NYSCA's Facebook page, Twitter @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.

-Information provided by EOH