by Rob Smith

THE MICHIGAN COUNCIL for Arts and Cultural Affairs recently announced that the organization had awarded $9.7 million to cultural organizations in Michigan. That’s up 27 percent over the $7.6 million in grant money awarded last year, and up 73 percent over the $5.6 million in grant money distributed in 2013. Washtenaw County winners included multiple grants to the Regents of the University of Michigan, the University Musical Society, The Ark, the Neutral Zone and the Kerrytown Concert House. County organizations requested $1.054 million in grant money and the MCACA funded $749,984 of those grant requests.

In total, MCACA funded 422 grants in 55 of Michigan counties.

In Wayne County, 82 organizations requested a total of $2.8 million in grant money. The MCACA granted $1.831 million of the organizations’ requests. Wayne County cultural organizations, in fact, took away the largest total amount of grant money distributed. The other Michigan county where cultural and arts organizations received over $1 million in total funding was Oakland County, where 58 organizations asked for a total of  $1.753 million in funding. The 58 Oakland County arts and cultural organizations tentatively received $1.062 million in grant money.

“These grants provide access to arts and cultural programing in places and to people that may not have access without the work their local arts and cultural organizations,” said John Bracey, MCACA executive director. “These grant awards provide opportunity to our children to learn about life in a full way, to grow and think critically about the world they have been thrust into, and to express themselves. What can be a better use of a few tax dollars than that?”

According to a release sent out by the MCACA, the organization received 525 applications for funding in 2015. The grant applications were judged by 107 arts professionals who comprised 22 individual panels. The MCACA board of directors are individuals appointed by the Governor.

“I am truly appreciative of the support the MCACA has received from Governor Snyder and the legislature and of their confidence in the MCACA process,” said MCACA Chairman Drew Buchholz. “Their support has MCACA moving forward and contributing significantly to Michigan reinvention.”