Old Fort Players, FMAAA get CARES grants

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Six other Burlington and Keokuk organizations awarded financial assistance as part of program

BY PCC STAFF

FORT MADISON - The Old Fort Players and Fort Madison Area Art Association both recieved money from a $7 million allocation of state CARES Funds into Iowa's art and cultural sector.

FMAAA received $5,000 as part of the grant process and Old Fort Players received $1,500 from the allocation.

Great River Players in Keokuk received $3,000 and the Keokuk-Hamilton Dam Museum was awarded $1,500.

Four Burlington organizations including The Capital Theater ($5,000), The Washington ($10,200), The Players Workshop ($9,200), and the Art Center of Burlington ($27,500) all received awards.

A total of 267 cultural organizations and 152 artists serving 118 Iowa communities will receive a share of $7 million in grants announced today by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.

Gov. Kim Reynolds allocated the funding, made possible by the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, on Dec. 2. The department launched the Iowa Arts & Culture Recovery Program the same day and received more than 550 requests totaling more than $36 million by the Dec. 11 deadline.

The list of grant recipients includes some of Iowa’s longest-running music venues, arts and cultural heritage festivals, and theaters, along with artists and community arts councils, historical museums and university performing arts centers.

“The Iowa Arts and Culture Recovery Program stabilizes a vital part of Iowa’s economy by helping our arts and cultural sector build a much-needed funding bridge for a stronger recovery,” Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Director Chris Kramer said. “We are so grateful to Governor Reynolds for her steadfast support of Iowa’s creative and cultural workforce. These grants provide relief for thousands of Iowans whose jobs and livelihoods have been impacted this year.” 

The Covid-19 pandemic has devastated Iowa’s creative sector, which relies on income from admissions, ticket sales and events. According to data provided by grant applicants, organizations have lost a combined $46.4 million in income since the pandemic began.

In a typical year, Iowa’s creative sector accounts for 2.3 percent of the state’s economy, according to research by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Iowa’s arts, culture, history and creative industries, including film and media, employ more than 42,000 Iowans working in more than 5,000 nonprofit and for-profit businesses statewide.

The Iowa Arts and Cultural Recovery Program grants were administered by the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and will bolster arts venues, cultural nonprofits and creative workers whose activities are essential to education, economic development and quality of life throughout Iowa.

“It’s truly remarkable how arts and cultural organizations as well as individual artists have continued to create, innovate and keep us connected during the pandemic, in spite of the personal and financial challenges that many have faced,” Iowa Arts Council Administrator David Schmitz said. “I’m so proud that our agency has the opportunity to support artists, music venues and organizations when they need it most.”

The one-time grants range from $1,500 to $175,000 and provide relief to individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations that can demonstrate lost income and extra expenses incurred due to the pandemic. The grants may be used to offset operating expenses, as well as costs associated with reopening in person or adapting programs to virtual formats.

While the relief program was highly competitive, the department funded 75 percent of requests, demonstrating support for arts and culture statewide. Additionally:

  • More than half of the grants were distributed to cultural organizations with annual budgets under $250,000.
  • The average grant for organizations and venues was just over $25,000.
  • Funding was prioritized for artists and organizations that serve rural areas, culturally diverse populations or under-represented groups.

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