RI awards stimulu$ to 18 arts groups

Rhode Island announced on July 27 that it would distribute $291,500 in federal stimulus money to 18 local arts groups. The money comes from the state's share of the $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that was passed by the U.S. Congress in February. The program aims to preserve jobs in the arts - in this case some 77 positions. The Rhode Island Foundation chipped in an additional $100,000 "in recognition of [the program's] potential to strengthen and stabilize the state's arts community."

The grant recipients include:
Blackstone River Theatre, Cumberland, $25,000 to protect the position of the Executive Director.
Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum, Exeter, $25,000 to protect the Executive Director's position.
Flickers, the Newport Film and Video Society (Rhode Island International Film Festival), $12,500 to protect three positions, the Executive Director, Managing Director and Producing Director.
Newport Art Museum, $25,000 to protect the position of an Education Department staff member.
Redwood Library, Newport, $12,500 to protect the position of the Assistant Director, Special Collections Librarian.
Island Moving Company, Newport, $25,000 to protect two positions, the Booking Manager and the Education Director.
Fantasy Works Youth Theatre, North Kingstown, $14,825 to protect the Director of Education position.
Old Slater Mill, Pawtucket, $25,000 to protect two positions - the Curator and Community Guild staffer positions.
Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre, Pawtucket, $25,000 to protect two positions, the General Manager position and the Marketing and Sales Manager position.
VSA Arts of Rhode Island, Pawtucket, $12,500 to protect the Program Coordinator position.
Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art, Providence, $25,000 to protect the Manager of School, Youth and Family Programs position.
Providence CITYARTS for Youth, $25,000 to protect two positions - the Arts Program Coordinator and a Teaching Artist.
Waterfire Providence, $25,000 to protect three positions - The Waterfire Production Team.
Project New Urban Arts, Providence, $25,000 to protect the position of Studio Manager.
2nd Story Theatre Company, Warren, $25,000 to protect the Box Office Manager position.
Gateways to Change, Warwick, $25,000 to protect an Art Teacher position.
Courthouse Center for the Arts, West Kingston, $12,500 to protect the Education Outreach Coordinator position.
The Colonial Theatre, Westerly, $25,000 to protect 52 positions in the organization, including Producing Artistic Director, General Manager, artists and technicians.

Note: Rhode Island seems to have gotten more federal arts stimulus money than neighboring Massachusetts.