"Supporting the arts helps build and enrich communities in Maine," said Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. "These grants will bring the arts to Mainers who might not have the opportunity to enjoy them otherwise."
The funding has been awarded to the following entities:
Portland Stage Company, Portland……………………….$22,000
Center for Cultural Exchange, Portland……………….….$20,000
Bala Music and Dance Association, Ltd., Portland………$20,000
Eastern Maine Development District, Inc., Bangor…...….$40,000
Alice James Poetry Cooperative, Inc., Farmington……....$25,000
Bates College, Lewiston………………………………….$20,000
The funding awarded to the Portland Stage Company will support the production of a play entitled Yemaya's Belly by Quiara Alegria Hudes.
The grant given to the Center for Cultural Exchange will support a commissioning, production, and touring initiative titled Unintended Consequences. The director will create a multimedia performance based on the repercussions of September 11, 2001, in the lives of refugee and immigrant communities in Maine.
Money awarded to Bala Music and Dance Association, Ltd. will support a concert tour of South Indian bharata natyam music and dance. The tour will feature a dancer of the T. Balasaraswati family, regarded in India and the United States as one of the most distinguished performers of this traditional artistry.
Funding awarded to the Eastern Maine Development District, Inc. will be used to support the American Folk Festival. The festival will connect cultural groups to their own heritage while providing rural Maine with access to high-quality performances and material culture.
Grant money given to the Alice James Poetry Cooperative, Inc. will be used to support the publication and promotion of poetry titles selected from two annual competitions and a new and selected poetry collection by Donald Revell. The selected poets will read from their works at venues around the country.
Bates College will use its funding to support extended residency activities in the dance department.
National Endowment for the Arts matching grants help support projects that involve the creation and presentation of artistically excellent work- both new and established. Projects include commissions, residencies, rehearsals, workshops, performances, exhibitions, publications, festivals and training programs.
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