$5,000 City Grants Awarded to Eight Arts Organizations

Mayor Mufi Hannemann today announced the City has awarded grants of $5,000 to eight nonprofit organizations through the Mayor’s Production Grant Program.

Now in its fifth year, the program is the only one in Hawaii to provide support for the production of new artistic works in dance, theater, music, literature, and short film that will be part of each organization’s future repertoire.  This year’s recipients are:

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

·        Bamboo Ridge Press, for the publication of Anshuu;

·        Chamber Music Hawaii, for the creation of a musical production by Jon Magnussen;

·        Honolulu Academy of Arts, for the production of “Duets”;

·        Monkey Waterfall, for the production of “Celebrity”;

·        Nova Arts Foundation, for the production of “Of Like Mind”;

·        Oahu Choral Society, for the production of “A Choral Dance Collaboration”; and

·        The Movement Center, for the production of “Encore Dance Project.”

“The diverse projects being supported by the Production Grant Program show the artistic community in Honolulu is teeming with talent and creativity and is reaching for the stars to achieve great things,” said Mayor Hannemann.  “The City is privileged to be able to support a wide range of projects that perpetuates the arts and benefits our communities.”

            Michael Pili Pang, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts, said, “This year’s applicants have shown that despite the tough economic times, the arts community is not letting down and is actively seeking ways to continue to bring the arts to the people of Honolulu as well as stimulate our cultural economy.”

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 City’s Commission on Culture and the Arts assisted the City in the selection process for the Mayor’s Production Grant Program.  The commission is tasked with assisting in preserving the artistic and cultural heritage of Honolulu for residents and visitors alike.

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Contact:

Dymian Racoma, 768-5288