Alford-Egremont Cultural Council awards grants
ALFORD, EGREMONT — James Warwick and Ellen Maggio, co-chairs of the Alford-Egremont Cultural Council, have announced the awarding of 27 grants totaling $10,000, for cultural programs that directly benefit the residents of Alford and Egremont.
Decisions about which activities to support are made at the community level by a board of municipally appointed volunteers. The members of the Alford-Egremont Cultural Council are: Co-chairs James Warwick and Ellen Maggio, Secretary Phyllis Slocum, Treasurer Karen Climo, Communications Leslie Alfin, Sandra Josel, Oskar Hallig, and Conor Canning.
This year’s grant awardees include:
- WAM Theatre, Inc.
- Berkshire Bach Society
- Flying Cloud Institute, Inc.
- New Marlborough Village Association, Inc.
- Berkshire Music School, Inc.
- Greenagers, Inc.
- Berkshire South Regional Community Center
- Raianne Richards:Community Concert in Egremont
- Aston Magna Foundation for Music and the Humanities, Inc.
- Julie Scott: Alford Open Studios
- Berkshire Children’s Chorus, Inc.
- Jane Burke: The Science of Art & Clay
- Great Barrington Public Theater
- Literacy Network of South Berkshire, Inc.
- Music in Common, Inc.
- IS183, Inc.
- Dewey Memorial Hall, Inc.
- Pittsfield Shakespeare, Inc.
- TapRoot Sessions
- Jana Laiz: Young Authors Series
- Tricia Bevan: Together Again in the District
- SculptureNow
- Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
- Moving Arts Exchange, Inc.
- The Stockbridge Sinfonia, Inc.
The Alford-Egremont Cultural Council will seek applications again in the fall. For guidelines and complete information on the Alford-Egremont Cultural Council, contact James Warwick at jameswarwick01@yahoo.com. Applications and more information about the Local Cultural Council Program are available online.
The Cultural Council is part of a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCC) serving all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The LCC Program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, sciences, and humanities every year. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, which then allocates funds to each community.
—A.K.
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Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation announces grant deadlines
SHEFFIELD — Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation has announced its spring deadlines for grants in Berkshire County. Click here to apply online.
FOR NONPROFITS
Berkshire Taconic’s Arts Build Community initiative supports innovation among Berkshire County’s non-profit arts, cultural and community organizations as they work to increase community engagement. Rapid-response small grants are available to test emerging ideas with a fast turnaround from application to fund disbursement. Grants range up to $7,500. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until all funds are expended.
NEW GRANT OPPORTUNITY: Berkshire Taconic has partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development to administer the CARES Act Community Development Block Grant Food Security Program in Berkshire County. Nonprofits working on food security in Berkshire County may apply for grants to support capital expenses used to expand and/or improve the capacity of food provision programs to deliver services and address food insecurity related to the pandemic. Grants will range up to $200,000. Letters of intent are due April 15.
The Fund for Williamstown supports nonprofits and community organizations that serve the residents of Williamstown. Grants range up to $5,000. Applications are due April 15.
NEW GRANT OPPORTUNITY: The South Berkshire County Fund seeks proposals from non-profit organizations for new or existing projects and programs that support positive mental health and wellness for South County residents. Grants will range up to $5,000. The application process opens May 1, and applications are due June 1.
AWARDS TO CELEBRATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ORGANIZATIONS
The Fund for Williamstown’s DeMayo Bright Futures Innovation Award recognizes non-profit organizations, businesses or individuals who are passionate about solving community challenges with innovative practices in Williamstown. The award recipient will receive $1,000 to be used for a charitable purpose. Nominations are due April 15.
The William J. & Margery S. Barrett Public Service Award for Adams, Cheshire & Savoy celebrates individuals who make a significant contribution to the well-being of these towns through paid or volunteer work. The selected nominee will designate a non-profit organization to receive a cash award of $1,000 in his or her name. Nominations are due May 1.
FOR SCHOOLS
The Farmington River Initiative for Regional Excellence Fund will award grants for projects that enhance and enrich the experience of arts and humanities for students and teachers of the Farmington River Regional School District. Applications are due May 1 and will be accepted from students, teachers, administrators and community members.
FOR STUDENTS AND INDIVIDUALS
The Clayton Chrisman Memorial Fund Award provides grants to juniors and seniors at Mount Everett Regional High School for the costs of projects related to environmental studies. Projects may include travel, special classes, field trips and other related activities. Applications are due April 16.
The Moonlight Mile Scholarship Fund supports women who are seeking matching funds to support travel or equipment needs for study or athletic competition, professional training, or support for alternative healing. Applicants should be at least 18 years old and live in Massachusetts or New York. Applications are due April 16.
The Simple Gifts Fund awards grants to young people ages 13–19 for participation in cultural or creative summer programs. Applications are due April 16.
—A.K.
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Singers invited to join Crescendo’s ensembles
LAKEVILLE, Conn. — Singers based in the Berkshires are invited to join Crescendo’s Ensembles: Crescendo Chorus, Crescendo Vocal Ensemble, and Crescendo Young Artists Program. There are openings for both amateur and paid professional positions in all voice groups. A limited number of scholarships are available. Crescendo regularly performs at Saint James Place in Great Barrington. To learn more, and to schedule an audition, email crescendo@crescendomusic.org.
—A.K.
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Violinist Francesca Anderegg to perform recital at Simon’s Rock
GREAT BARRINGTON — On Saturday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m., Francesca Anderegg will return to the Berkshires and Simon’s Rock for a recital of music for violin and piano by women composers, in the McConnell Auditorium of the Daniel Arts Center. The concert is free and open to the public. Reservations are recommended and vaccination certificates and masks are required. For further information, call 413-528-7212.
Anderegg, who grew up in the Berkshires and has performed here frequently, will be accompanied by pianist Matthew McCright. Their program will include works by Clara Schumann, Grazyna Bacewicz, Hannah Lash, Jessie Montgomery, and Amy Beach.
Hailed by the New York Times for her “rich tone” and “virtuosic panache,” Anderegg delivers insightful accounts of contemporary and classical music. She earned her undergraduate degree at Harvard University and master’s and doctoral degrees from The Juilliard School, where her teachers included Robert Mann, Ronald Copes, and Naoko Tanaka. She is a laureate of the Corpus Christi Competition and winner of fellowships from both the McKnight Foundation and the Leonore Annenberg Fund. Her festival appearances include the Tanglewood Music Center, the National Music Festival, Music in the Vineyards, and Yellow Barn. She is Associate Professor of Violin at St. Olaf College, has taught at Interlochen Center for the Arts, and been an invited guest teacher at universities throughout the country and abroad.
American pianist Matthew McCright has performed extensively throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific as a soloist and chamber musician. A native of Pennsylvania, he now resides in Minneapolis, and is a member of the piano faculty of Carleton College. An accomplished recording artist, McCright has released six solo recordings: his most recent, “What is Left Behind,” on the Proper Canary label, three albums on innova Records, the piano works of Gene Gutchë on Centaur Records, and the piano music of Olivier Messiaen on Albany Records. McCright earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance from the University of Minnesota, Master of Music degree in Piano from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, and Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Westminster College.
—A.K.
