» CARES Act Grants Awarded

In a September 3 special meeting, the Roanoke Arts Commission approved more than $430,000 in funding for arts and cultural organizations and arts programming in local restaurants through two programs advised by the Star City Strong Recovery Task Force.

In the recovery funding for nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, the Agency Funding Advisory Committee (AFAC), which annually oversees programming grants for arts and cultural nonprofits, reviewed costs submitted by the organizations from the beginning of the Governor’s declared state of emergency on March 12.

On that day, many organizations and businesses lost primary streams of revenue, yet they still had overhead, obligations, and investments needed to shift operations. “There were far more costs than our funds could cover,” said Chair Jeanne Fishwick, “but we think these resources will really make a difference in the survival of some organizations that are critical to our cultural life in the region.”

Twenty nonprofit organizations were awarded $400,000 in grants:

Center in the Square
Cultural Arts For Excellence
The Spot on Kirk
Grandin Theatre Foundation
Harrison Museum
Historical Society of Western Virginia
Jefferson Center
Local Colors of Western VA
Mill Mountain Zoo
Mill Mountin Theatre
Opera Roanoke 
Roanoke (Virginia) Children’s Theatre
Roanoke Ballet Theatre
Roanoke Outside
Roanoke Symphony Orchestra
Science Museum of Western Virginia
Southwest Virginia  Ballet
Taubman Museum of Art
The Humble Hustle Company, Inc
Virginia Museum of Transportation

In the second program targeting restaurant performances, 15 restaurants or business support organizations applied for $2,000 grants to host performances between now and December 15. “It’s nearly impossible given the capacity restrictions and the overhead of converting to outdoor meal service to still cover the cost of entertainment at restaurants,” said Fishwick. “So we hope with a little underwriting, that some performers will be back, safely, doing what they love doing and what earns them some money.

Ten grants will still be awarded, hopefully at the next meeting of the Roanoke Arts Commission on September 15. So get your applications in as soon as possible!”

Find the Restaurant Performances Grant information
and application here.

Apply by Monday, September 14, 2020.

Watch for upcoming performances at the following funded establishments:

Bloom West End 
Downshift LLC
Downtown Roanoke, Inc.’s Market Saturdays
Downtown Roanoke, Inc.’s 25 Days of Dickens
Fork in the Alley 
Fork in the Market 
Fortunato 
Hotel Roanoke 
Local Roots Restaurant
Lucky 
Martin’s Downtown
Morning Brew Coffee Company
Sweet Donkey Coffee
Three Notch’d Brewery & Craft Kitchen
Five Points Music Sanctuary
Montano’s International
Rock & Roll Catering

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