NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Governor Ned Lamont will hold a news conference in New Haven to make an announcement regarding state support for Connecticut’s arts community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state will be providing up to $9 million in grants to certain nonprofit arts organizations in the state to help them recover from the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a release from the governor's office said:
Utilizing federal CARES Act funding from the state’s Coronavirus Relief Fund, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development’s (DECD) Office of the Arts will administer the COVID Relief Fund for the Arts program with the goal of supporting:
- Arts nonprofits for whom grants will make a difference in terms of survival or rehiring; and
- Arts nonprofits that have had to curtail operations for a period of time due to the pandemic and which have had limited ability to reopen due to pandemic restrictions and/or have had to pivot their service delivery due to pandemic restrictions.
“Connecticut’s arts community provides an incredible amount of good for our state and supports thousands of jobs,” Governor Lamont said. “The ongoing, global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted so many aspects of our lives, and many of our state’s nonprofit arts organizations are struggling to recover from its impact. This program will provide some support so that these groups can continue providing the services in our state that so many depend on.”
Qualifying organizations will receive a base grant of $5,000. For organizations that have raised funds between March 10 and November 1, 2020, the program will offer a supplemental match of 50 percent of contributed income during that period. The maximum award for any organization is $750,000.
Arts organizations eligible for funding include:
- Performing Arts Centers: Multi-purpose facilities for arts programming, including theaters that present live performances and/or live classes;
- Performing Groups: Groups of artists who perform works of art (e.g., an orchestra, theater, or dance group). To qualify, the organization must either own the venue in which it performs and/or spend more than 20 percent of its annual operating budget on rental of space used to perform; and
- Schools of the Arts: Organizations that have arts education as its primary educational mission (e.g. community art schools).
The Connecticut Office of the Arts will be accepting applications between October 23 and November 3, and all contracts must be executed by December 30. Additional information on eligibility requirements and the application process can be found on DECD’s website.
Last week, Governor Ned Lamont visited with non-profit employees who have had to re-double their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Everyday we need you more than ever,” Lamont told the small group at the Klingberg Center. “These kids know we love them and we’re standing by them and there will be a better day,” he added.
The event, small in size due to Covid restrictions, was led in part by the Children’s League of Connecticut.
It's an advocacy group whose member organizations consist of non-profit service providers in an array of areas like mental health, residential treatment, and youth services.
Vannessa Dorantes, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families said, “today was really about celebrating all of our unsung heroes.”
Lamont said of the workers, “they are right there every day. The love they bring everyday to kids who desperately need love.”
Gov. Lamont said Friday that Connecticut is once again seeing a 2.4% COVID-19 positivity rate.
The infection rate has fluctuated this week between 2% and 2.4%, as the state reached its highest rate since June.
- 33,048 tests were administered and 802 came back positive.
- 184 patients are hospitalized (decrease of 7).
- There have been 2 COVID-related deaths.
- The state introduced a new mapping tool that will be used to show towns with increased cases of COVID-19.
Gov. Lamont said Thursday that Canterbury, Danbury, East Lyme, Griswold, Hartford, Montville, Norwich, New London, Preston, Sprague and Windham were the municipalities with more than 15 cases per 100,000.
That places them under a Red alert.
