FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

November 15, 2007                                            Release No. M-126-07

City Awards $40,000 in Grants to Arts Organizations

Mayor Mufi Hannemann announced today (November 15, 2007) the City has awarded grants of $5,000 each to eight nonprofit organizations under the Mayor’s Production Grant Program.

Now in its third year, the grant program supports the production of new works in dance, theater, music, and literature that will be part of each organization’s future repertoire.

This year’s awardees are:

·       Alliance for Drama Education, for the production of T-Shirt Theatre’s “Tree’d”

·       Bamboo Ridge Press, for the publication of “The Way Islands are Linked by Ocean”

·       Chamber Music Hawaii, for the composition of a new work in celebration of its 25^th anniversary

·       Dance Pioneers, for the dance production “3 Emerge”

·       Kauakoko Foundation, for the production of a Hawaiian music CD entitled “Journeys”

·       Taiko Arts Center, for the production of “Rhythm Summit,” a collaborative work for taiko and Western percussion

·       The Movement Center, for a musical work entitled “S.O.S. Save Our Space”

·       Pulse Productions, for the production of  “Inika—an Art Musical”

Mayor Mufi Hannemann said, “It is a privilege to be able to support a diversity of projects that exemplify the wealth in artistic talent in our Honolulu. The Production Grant Program is the only one of its kind in the state dedicated to the creation of new works. It is delightful to know these grants are fostering and perpetuating the creative endeavors of Honolulu’s artists.”  

Grant Kagimoto, chairman of the City’s Commission on Culture and the Arts, added, “I would like to thank all the organizations that took the time and effort to submit their proposals. With so many wonderful programs being held throughout the community, recommending the awardees was not an easy task. The Production Grant Program is helping to show that the artistic community in Honolulu is filled with creativity and potential for greater achievements. The Commission is proud to be an integral part of this program.”

The grant funds were appropriated from the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts (MOCA). The program is part of MOCA’s initiative of encouraging, sustaining and incorporating culture and the arts as an essential part of Honolulu’s social and economic life.

The Commission on Culture and the Arts assists the City in preserving the artistic and cultural heritages of all people residing in Honolulu. The Commission assisted the City in the selection process for the Mayor’s Production Grant Program.

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Contact:

Michael Pili Pang, Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts, 523-4674

Dymian Racoma, Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts, 527-5288