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CLARKSBURG -- Multiple arts organizations and artists in Randolph County and the surrounding area were presented grants during a special presentation Friday.
Gov. Jim Justice joined West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, and History (Curator Randall Reid-Smith in presenting 44 grants to arts organizations across the state at the Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center.
The following local groups and individuals received grants:
The Randolph County Community Arts Council (The Arts Center) received a $14,448 Arts Partners grant for general operating support.
The Arts Partners grant program provides operating support for staffing and programming to stable, long-standing arts organizations with full-time staff and operating budgets of at least $100,000. This funding allows them to further their missions and provide high-quality arts programming to their communities.
Augusta Heritage received a $2,200 Creative Aging for Lifelong Learning grant for its community choir project.
The Creative Aging grant program provides support for individual artists, schools, local governments, and 501(c)(3) organizations to carry out projects that teach a new skill in the arts to a group of adults.
Augusta Heritage received a $20,000 Community Arts Project Support grant for a series of art workshops.
The Community Arts Project Support grant program provides funding for nonprofit organizations and local governments to provide arts programming in all disciplines to the public. Categories include presenting artists, performing artists, visual arts, media arts and folk and traditional arts.
ArtsBank received a $5,000 Youth Engagement through Public Art grant for a mural project involving all elementary students in Randolph County.
Meanwhile, the Randolph County Commission received a $4,455 Youth Engagement through Public Art grant for a mural at the county's new public swimming pool/splash pad.
The Youth Engagement through Public Art grant program provides funding for schools, local governments, and nonprofit organizations to create public art projects that engage local youth in the planning and/or implementation.
The Mountain State Forest Festival received $38,187 in Legislative Line Item funding. Line item funding from the Lottery Education Fund is included in the state budget bill.
Augusta Heritage received a $1,781 Living Traditions: Folk Arts grant for a Foodways project.
The Living Traditions: Folk Art grant provides funding for organizations to present folk art activities and for artists to improve their skills or create new works in the folk and traditional arts.
Kiara Williams, of Key to Adam, received a $3,750 Professional Development for Artists grant for advertising space on social media.
The Professional Development for Artists grant provides funding for individual artists to expand or improve their work or share their expertise with others.
"When I took office, the arts faced an uncertain future in West Virginia," Justice said during the ceremony. "But just like you, I believe they're not just entertainment, but the soul of our state. That's why, from day one, I've fought to protect and grow our artistic tapestry.
"We've increased funding, saved music programs, and celebrated artists in every corner of West Virginia. Today's 44 grants are another step in that journey. They're an investment in dreams, communities, and the Mountain State's bright future. The arts are the bridges that connect us, the voices that give us strength, and the colors that paint our path forward. Together, we're continuing to make West Virginia not just a state with artists, but a living, breathing work of art."