POTSDAM -- St. Lawrence County Arts Council (SLC Arts) will be distributing $160,000 in state funds to support project-based community arts programming taking place in 2024.

SLC Arts announced a 60% increase in available grant funding for next year. The funds are through the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Statewide Community Regrants (SCR) Program, and are available to individual artists, municipalities, libraries, nonprofit organizations, collectives and Tribal Nations throughout Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

“This is a substantial increase in funding, which will have a very positive impact on communities throughout the North Country,” said Kat Dinneen, artistic executive director.

SLC Arts offers three grants through the SCR Program. Projects in any artistic discipline are eligible, including but not limited to: music, visual arts, theatre, literary arts, dance, media arts, etc.

• The Individual Artist Grant funds the creation of new work by an individual artist. The project must engage a segment of the community through inclusion of community involvement in the project’s development and creative process, and/or through a culminating exhibit or performance. Amount: $1,000 - $2,500.

• The Arts Education Grant supports meaningful arts education projects and the exploration of the artistic process. It brings teaching artists into dedicated learning environments to benefit learners of all ages. The teaching artist must partner with a K-12 public school or a community-based organization, to offer programming to a closed group of learners. Amount: $500 - $5,000.

• The Community Arts Grant funds public arts experiences and fosters creative communities. The Community Arts Grant supports public arts experiences and fosters creative communities. It offers project-specific support for activities that enable local communities to experience and engage with the arts. All activities must be community-based, have an artistic/cultural activity as its primary focus, and be open to the general public. Amount: $500 - $5,000.

The grant cycle will open Jan. 01, 2024, when online applications will be live. The deadline is March 1.

Funding is for projects taking place in 2024. Projects funded earlier in the year may be funded retroactively. Guidelines and application questions will be available mid-December at slcartscouncil.org/grants/resources.

Those who want to learn how the grants can support their work and impact their community can attend a free info session to learn more. All applicants are required to attend an arts funding info session, or meet with the Grant Coordinator, before submitting a n application. A schedule of info sessions is available at slcartscouncil.org/grants.

A virtual “Lunch & Learn” presentation planned Wednesday, Dec. 6, is targeted at municipal and community leaders, and will feature three segments. The first will focus on the SCR program and what it can fund at a community level. The second segment will explore public art and its positive impact on local communities. The final segment will focus specifically on murals, as many communities begin their public art journeys with a mural. Meeting information as follows:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84985951403?pwd=ZlF5a0RZWENvMDYzUGFCeGVNWWZkdz09

Meeting ID: 849 8595 1403

Passcode: 496059

Assistance and feedback are always available throughout the grant application process. For questions, contact Alicia Murphy, Grant Coordinator, at grants@slcartscouncil.org.