The Community Foundation of NCW has awarded $57,820 in grants to support music and arts programs in the greater Wenatchee Valley. The grant funding comes from the Woods Family Music and Arts Fund, managed by the foundation.

The Woods Family Music and Arts Fund was established by Wilfred and Kathleen Woods, long time Wenatchee residents who are passionate about music and the arts. Several members of the Woods family are involved in reviewing and recommending grants from the fund.

“Our family feels strongly about furthering music and arts education in our valley” said Rufus Woods, one of the fund’s advisors. “We like to pay particular attention to the underserved children in our valley, so that everyone has a chance to experience the joy of music and art.”

To be eligible for a grant, the applicant must have a 501c3 charitable nonprofit status, be a public school or institution, or obtain an eligible fiscal sponsorship. Programs must enhance music and arts experiences or opportunities in Cashmere, Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, or Leavenworth. The grant is offered annually in September, and applicants can request up to $5,000 of support.

The following programs received awards:

• Abraham Lincoln Elementary – $3,500 to purchase Ukuleles for fourth and fifth grade students to check out for extended periods of time to become proficient musicians through daily practice and cultivate a culture of making music in the home.
• Stage Kids WA (Campbell Children’s Theatre Foundation) – $2,500 to expand and enhance classes to include vocal training, set design, and costume design instruction for a youth theater program that offers seasonal musical theater productions, summer camps, and training for ages 4-13.
• Icicle Arts – $1,000 to support Art Academy Scholarships for under-privileged and gifted arts students the opportunity to attend a variety of visual art classes taught by local professional teaching artists.
• Icicle Creek Center for the Arts – $2,500 to help support world-class artist performances as part of the Classical Music Series, which runs from October 2014 to June 2015.
• Mariachi NCW Festival – $2,000 to help support professional mariachi musicians to conduct workshops for students attending the festival, which focuses on the importance of higher education and personal growth through learning with professional musicians with emphasis on Mexican and Latino heritage.
• North Central ESD Educational Foundation – $5,000 toward the foundation’s teacher grants program, specifically for music and arts enrichment activities and programs that support student achievement.
• Numerica Performing Arts Center – $5,000 to support the performance of Sebastien de la Cruz, a nationally known mariachi performer, along with Wenatchee’s Mariachi Huenachi, to celebrate, honor, and showcase the contributions of the Latino community.
• Pybus Market Charitable Foundation – $1,500 to subsidize travel costs for school districts and professionals to perform at Pybus to help increase a musical presence in the community.
• The Grief Place – $4,000 to support Art with Heart, a program that has developed evidence-based therapeutic books and programs to help children overcome trauma through creative expression.
• Upper Valley Connection – $2,000 to support the annual Theater Camp, which brings over 100 people from around the state, to provide a theater performance and camp experience for those with developmental disabilities and their families.
• Washington Elementary School – $1,120 for an Artist in Residency program for kindergarten students to learn and experience drawing and watercolors from local artist Terry Valdez.
• Washington Elementary School – $700 to purchase Bass, Tenor, Alto, and Soprano recorders to establish a Recorder Ensemble for fifth graders with interest to gain experience in reading music, rehearsing and performing together as an ensemble.
• Wenatchee After School Programs – $5,000 to support an art project developed for After School Programs at Columbia, Mission View, Orchard and/or Pioneer that will result in visible art for the community.
• Wenatchee Jazz Workshop – $4,000 to bring professional jazz musicians to the Wenatchee Valley that will provide a week-long workshop featuring several days of intense instruction, culminating with two public performances.
• Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center – $5,000 for program fees related to the NCW Juried Art Show, hosted by the museum, which provides an opportunity for emerging, professional, and local artists to showcase their work and the community an opportunity to view various forms of art.
• Wenatchee Valley Symphony Association – $2,500 to support their 2014-2105 season soloists, including violinist Maia Travers and Soprano Kari Ragan.
• Women’s Resource Center of NCW – $5,000 to support an Art Therapist for the Bruce Housing program to expand cultural awareness, encourage self-expression, self-discovery, and emotional growth for homeless adults and families.
• MAC Gallery at Wenatchee Valley College – $3,000 to support the Music and Arts Gallery’s season programming for 2014-2015 to include a higher level of artist participation and enhancing the community experience through a broader range of contemporary art.

The next Woods Family Music & Arts Grant opening will be September 2015. For more information on grant opportunities at the Community Foundation, visit www.cfncw.org/grants.