QSFA receives funding from community foundation

8 months, 4 weeks ago

Community Foundation of the Quincy area awarded a $2,000 grant

The Community Foundation of the Quincy Area has awarded a $2,000 grant to the Quincy Society of Fine Arts to support the 2012-2013 Instant ArtsDollars program. Funds of $750 were awarded from the Katherine Broemmel Endowment for the Arts and $1250 the Paul H. and Anne B. Gardner Memorial Fund.

Instant ArtsDollars is also funded by the Quincy Service League, the Stillwell Foundation and the business and individual members of the Quincy Society of Fine Arts.

Instant ArtsDollars grants provide up to $100 to teachers to bring local artists to classrooms or for field trips to local museums. Funds are available to teachers of grades K–12 through a simple application process.

Joe Bocke, QSFA president stated, “The importance of arts education is demonstrated by the fact that Quincy Public School fine arts students consistently score higher grade point averages and have better attendance records than the general student population. Last year the combined grade point average of the students involved in fine arts extra-curricular activities was much higher than the GPA of the general student body not in extracurricular arts activities. The attendance record of the students involved in the arts was higher also. These are just two reasons that the National College Board now lists the arts among the six basic subjects that help prepare students for college.”

This year the In$tant Art$Dollars program will award grants to schools in Quincy and Adams County. Students may visit local museums and attend local productions. Funds may also bring local artists and performers to the classroom.

Long-term Outcomes of this program are a) increased access to the arts by students, many of which may never have the opportunity to participate in the arts and b) increased stabilization of Quincy’s arts organizations and individual artists.

For more information call QSFA @222-3432 or www.artsquincyforyou.com.