Community Foundation Announces $197,000 in Arts Grants

As part of its 2023 fall grants cycle, the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County has announced $197,000 in Arts Everywhere grants to eight local nonprofit organizations:

The Music Village: $140,000 (payable over three years)
The Music Village is receiving Major Venture support for a multi-year recording arts initiative to create a recording arts studio classroom and launch a three-stage capacity-building and pilot program. The project includes multiple phases: Phase 1: Buildout, acoustic treatment; Phase 2: Capacity building through development of new music production and technology programming, establishment of a cooperative use model for the new facility, training and certification; Phase 3: Program pilots, promotion. This initiative will enable TMV to expand in-demand programming, introduce new programming, engage new participants and partners, and host a unique community resource. Half of the grant award will also help TMV build their endowment to help support this initiative.

WNIT Channel 34: $15,000
Funds are intended for 2024 annual sponsorship funding in support of multiple programs WNIT airs supporting the arts in St. Joseph County. As a PBS station, they bring the highest-quality national arts performances to the local audiences to inspire and entertain as well as featuring local arts through weekly episodes of Experience Michiana and a strong line-up of local performances like Live from ND, Arts at IUSB series, holiday shows from local groups, the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and more.

The Music Village: $7,500
The organization is receiving funds for 2024 annual support for The Music Village. Funds will support opportunities to learn about, experience, and participate in music and dance programming. TMV’s offerings include virtual and in-person music lessons, dance classes, group programs, jams, concerts, camps, after school programs, and more. The Music Village is continuing to expand their programming. TMV currently has about 125 students enrolled in private lessons and music classes, over 50 attendees of various weekly sessions, and 7 Music therapy clients. TMV is also offering programming to a broad segment of the community through 40 partnership programs.

Patchwork Dance Company: $3,500
Funds will support Patchwork Dance Company’s (PDC) 2024 season which includes three concerts. PDC will produce a spring concert March 2024; a fall concert and visual arts event, “Artistic Fusion” to be held September 2024; and a holiday concert, “Christopher’s Christmas” to be held December 2024.

Sappy Moffitt Field Foundation: $10,000
Sappy Moffitt Field Foundation is receiving funds for visiting artist residencies, community-based workshops, a workshop toolkit, and three public murals depicting underrepresented histories from South Bend. The project is meant to raise awareness of and foster dialogue about race, representation, and access in the South Bend community. The murals will portray Uncle Bill’s and Seabe Gavin Sr. Uncle Bill’s was a predominantly Black women’s softball team that played in the 1930s and 1940s. A third mural will be dedicated to Uncle Bill’s team, but will be created with the youth from the Boys and Girls Club and Riley High School. This mural will give students the opportunity to learn public art techniques, methods, and principles. Through additional partners such as Robinson Community Learning Center and the Civil Rights Heritage Center, Foundry Field will reach the broader community and region.

WVPE: $7,500
WVPE is receiving support for the January to December 2024 productions of the established monthly program, “The Sauce,” hosted by Dawn Burns. “The Sauce” will expand to include two additional monthly broadcasts of recorded live performances and artist interviews from area venues (“The Sauce: Live From…”) such as “The Acorn” in Three Oaks MI, “Merrimans’ Playhouse” South Bend, IN and others. Both programs will be available via podcast. WVPE will also support a five-minute weekly area entertainment and arts related broadcast news segment, “The Sauce Update,” hosted by Dawn Burns.

United Youth Theatre: $7,500
United Youth Theatre is receiving funds to support its 2024 season. Funding will support technical needs for four productions including sets, costumes, props, performance space, and expand upon current opportunities for area youth to get involved. In 2024, for the first time, UYT will have a current student lead a production, introduce live music, include a K-12th production, and see the return of school performances to further engage youth across the community.

South Bend Lyric Opera: $3,500
South Bend Lyric Opera is receiving funds for their 2024 season. While SBLO’s application was for one performance, the committee is recommending that support is for their full 2024 season. The first opera of the season will be Merry Widow by Franz Lehár. This comedy operetta will be in English and will be performed in the new performing arts center at Stanley Clark School in January 2024. The Stanley Clark School is a new location for SBLO and is an emerging partnership, which should open doors to new community patrons. SBLO hopes to implement an updated communications outreach plan and begin a new program providing free/low-cost tickets to community organizations that serve communities less likely to experience opera, in support of their updated diversity-related values.

UZIMA! Drum and Dance, Inc.: $2,500

UZIMA! Drum and Dance, Inc. is receiving funds to support production expenses for two performances utilizing community partners celebrating African American history. The first performance will be “ASHE: A Celebration of Voices” on January 20, 2024, which will showcase the diversity of our community through an opening short film highlighting prominent and everyday figures sharing their hope and vision of what Dr. King called “The Beloved Community”. Seven local church choirs will take the stage to lift their voices in song and celebration of Dr. King’s spirit. The Pokagon Band’s Drum Circle will open the concert with a Healing Dance designed to promote unity. UZIMA! Drum and Dance will perform several dance pieces honoring Dr. King’s legacy. In June, UZIMA! will be premiering the first large-scale performance celebrating the third anniversary of Juneteenth becoming a national holiday. Both performances will take place at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and there will also be an abbreviated performance within the community.