The Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) announced this week it has awarded $30,096 in funding to five organizations in Putnam County through its Arts Project Support and Arts Organization Support grants.

The five recipients are The Castle, DePauw University Institute of Music, Greencastle Arts Council, the Putnam County Mural Project and the Putnam County Playhouse.

During its June 14 quarterly business meeting, the commission approved funding recommendations for 338 organizations in 77 Indiana counties.

“All across Indiana we have seen the positive impact that investing in arts and creativity has on quality of life,” Anne Penny Valentine, who chairs the Indiana Arts Commission, said. “Each of the projects and organizations selected to receive funding are doing exceptional creative work in and for Hoosier communities. The commission is excited and honored to support the work these organizations are doing to engage the public, develop their communities and encourage creativity across our state.”

Indiana Region Six, which includes Clay, Parke, Putnam, Sullivan, Vermillion and Vigo counties, is administered through Arts Illiana in Terre Haute. Collectively, this service area will receive a total of 2O IAC awards

“That five of the grants awarded to Region Six will be going to Putnam County is encouraging,” Suzanne Hassler, president of the Greencastle Arts Council, said. “It speaks to the high quality of all of our area applicants.”

Local events receiving individual project support this fiscal year are the Putnam County Visual Arts Exhibition (July 13 – Sept. 20), the Putnam County Mural Festival (Sept. 7–21), and DePauw JazzFest (Nov. 22). In addition, programming provided through The Castle and the Putnam County Playhouse will receive larger organizational grants.

“We thank the IAC, our state senator, John Crane, and Representative Beau Baird for this much appreciated vote of support for Putnam County artists and educators,” Hassler added.

“Art and creativity foster connection and cohesion, support the entrepreneurial spirit communities need to thrive and help build the kinds of communities where people want to live, work, play, study and stay,” Miah Michaelsen, executive director of the Indiana Arts Commission, said. “In every corner of the Hoosier state, public funding for arts and creativity continually proves to be a high-return investment that positively impacts the cultural, economic and educational climate of Indiana. It is a privilege to support the organizations building stronger Indiana communities through arts and creativity.”

Funding for the Indiana Arts Commission and its programs is provided by the Indiana General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
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