The Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut (CAWC) is pleased to announce two significant grants to the region in support of arts, culture and economic development.
The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development Culture and Tourism Council awarded CAWC, as a Connecticut Designated Regional Service Organization, a FY2013 $30,855 grant to support the state’s creative economy and to provide cultural leadership to a broad diversity of regional constituents.
Designated Regional Service Organizations assist the CT Office of the Arts to develop and sustain industry and cross sector relationships and convene constituents to assess need; provide coordinated marketing, technical assistance, advocacy and other relevant services and programs; and support specific Connecticut Office of the Arts programs and services.
Through its newly created Arts Catalyze Placemaking Program, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development also awarded a $10,000 Arts Leadership Planning grant, administered by the Danbury Cultural Commission, to support the initial efforts of Brookfield residents and mural artists Joanne and Bruce Hunter of The Art Spot, to explore an appropriate site, research its history, then gather volunteer and local artist participants to continue making experiential and sustainable urban art in the Danbury CityCenter core. The Connecticut ACP program set out to invest in the state’s arts-based cultural activities and infrastructure to advance the attractiveness and competitiveness of Connecticut cities, towns and villages as meaningful communities in which to live, work, learn and play.
The Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Along with the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut, the DECD Connecticut Office of the Arts has joined the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission in “Healing Newtown: Healing through the Arts.”
The CAWC (formally the Housatonic Valley Cultural Alliance), based in Danbury, is a leader in supporting a vibrant arts and culture community in Northern Fairfield and Southern Litchfield Counties. The Cultural Alliance promotes and advocates for arts, history, and culture as a primary driver of the economy and as an enriching influence for communities and people. It understands and believes that the arts sector is a critical engine for growth through creativity, innovation and collaboration.
The Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut, a 501c-3, is the largest and only regional service organization working to ensure better access to arts and culture for all residents and visitors in the Housatonic Valley region. It is supported by pubic funding, corporate and private contributions, and by its members.
