Arts Organizations Win Matching Funds from Westchester County

Westchester County Executive George Latimer and the Westchester County Board of Legislators joined with ArtsWestchester recently to announce that 48 Westchester arts organizations are the recipients of matching funds from the Art$WChallenge grant program. This matching grant program, made possible with $205,000 of Westchester County support, provides much-needed funding for arts and culture in Westchester County.  In total, the 48 arts organizations raised $353,189 in new private funds through the 2019 Art$WChallenge program. Together with the matching County funds, the program successfully leveraged a total of $558,189 for arts and culture in Westchester last year.

County Executive George Latimer explained: “Since the inception of the Arts$WChallenge in 2007, this powerful public/private program has raised over $6 Million in support for Westchester’s arts and cultural sector. In many ways, this particular matching grant program helps to strengthen the cultural infrastructure of Westchester by fueling organizations located in cities and towns across the County.”

Janet T. Langsam, CEO of ArtsWestchester said: “On behalf of ArtsWestchester, I would like to thank Westchester County and the Board of Legislators for their long-term investment in an arts program that over thirteen years has paid dividends for the economy. With cultural visitors spending nearly twice as much as local arts attendees and with the cultural sector generating more than $172 Million in economic activity annually, this grant program is great for Westchester.”

Marsha Gordon, President and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester, said the matching grant program was a great model for supporting not-for-profits.

“Using this model, our arts organizations were able to leverage additional dollars that did not need to be funded by the taxpayer,’’ she said. “In addition, the arts are major driver of tourism, bringing in dollars that benefit all our communities so it is a win/win for everyone.’’

The following 48 arts organizations were awarded matching grants through ArtsWestchester’s 2019 Art$WChallenge program:

• Actors Conservatory Theatre
• Arc Stages
• Axial Theatre
• Ballet des Ameriques School and Company
• Bethany Arts Community
• Blue Door Art Center
• Chappaqua Orchestra
• Clay Art Center
• Clocktower Players
• Copland House
• Downtown Music at Grace
• Emelin Theatre for Performing Arts
• Fine Arts Orchestral Society of Yonkers
• Friends of Music Concerts
• Hamm & Clov Stage Company
• Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden
• Historic Hudson Valley
• Hoff-Barthelson Music School
• Hudson Stage Company
• Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art
• Hudson Valley Writers Center
• India Center of Westchester
• Jacob Burns Film Center
• Jazz Forum Arts
• Katonah Museum of Art
• Lyndhurst, A National Trust Historic Site
• Mamaroneck Artists Guild
• Mount Vernon Public Library
• Neuberger Museum
• Pelham Art Center
• Picture House Regional Film Center
• Rehabilitation Through the Arts
• Rivertowns Arts Council
• Schoolhouse Theater
• Songcatchers
• Steffi Nossen Dance Foundation
• Taconic Opera
• Tarrytown Music Hall
• The Revelators
• The Rye Arts Center
• The Symphony of Westchester
• Urban Studio Unbound
• Westchester Children’s Museum
• Westchester Collaborative Theatre
• Westchester Philharmonic
• White Plains Performing Arts Center
• YoFi Fest
• Youth Theatre Interaction