By Staff
Special to The Star
Feb.1, 2001
Awards totaling $10,000 will be presented to two artists, four art organizations and one school in the first round of grants awarded by the Meridian Arts Council for 2000-01.
The council's Community Arts Grants will be presented today at 4 p.m. in the Arts Council office on the third floor of City Hall.
According to Connie Royal, MAC executive director, grants awarded under matching endowments.
The honorees include:
Individual artist Ruby Yarbrough, $500.
Yarbrough will be awarded a grant to continue her storytelling at local schools. She is listed on the Mississippi Arts Commission's Artist Roster and Art Educator's Roster.
Individual artist Rhonda Jo Denton, $500.
Denton will be awarded a grant to attend the National Arts Education Conference to continue to advance her skills as a local art educator.
Art organization Meridian Little Theatre Youth, Project Support Grant, $2,000.
MLT's youth will be awarded a grant to aid in the cost of producing and presenting their most recent youth play "Peter Pan." The play is performed by local children, allowing them the opportunity to learn to perform on stage and to be a part of the production of a play. The production is presented to school students as well as the general public showing them how much fun it is to watch a full-scale play on stage.
Art organization Meridian Children's Chorus, Project Support Grant, $2,000.
The chorus will be awarded the grant to help provide materials needed to teach and to perform their first semester. Through instruction and performances, children in the chorus are taught to value and use their talents to the fullest, now and in the future. Performances by the chorus are open to the general public.
Art organization Meridian Museum of Art, Project Support Grant, $2,000.
The museum will be awarded a grant to help in presenting the 28th Annual Bi-State Art Competition, Feb. 10-March 10, a competitive exhibit open to all current and former residents of Mississippi and Alabama. Admission to any MMA exhibit is free.
Art organization Meridian Symphony Orchestra League, Project Support, $2,000.
The MSO League will be awarded a grant to help present its annual children's concert for fourth graders on Feb. 16 at the Ivy Theatre at Meridian Community College. The concert will be available to all local school students, public and private.
Prior to the concert, participating schools are provided instrument information, games and activities to prepare students to learn about and enjoy classical music.
School St. Patrick Catholic School, Project Support, $1,000.
St. Patrick will be awarded a grant to help in presenting the art-in-residency project "Top Ten." The project is designed to provide students in the school's enrichment classes first-hand exposure to the performing arts and to engage them in a community effort toward a common goal.
The project will include at least two weeks of artist-in-residency provided by one of the city's well known artists, Elliot Street. During Street's residency, the play by Peabody Award-winning author Rand Hopkins will be studied, produced and performed for the school's students and the general public.
Since 1992, the Meridian Arts Council has helped promote the arts in Meridian and Lauderdale County by awarding more than $117,000 to local artists and art organizations through the Community Arts Grants Program. Funding is provided through grants from the City of Meridian, the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors, the Mississippi Arts Commission and money raised during the year through projects such as Arts in the Park, Artrain and the presentation of "The Nutcracker."