Submitted photo Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council awarded $163,281 in Arts and Cultural Heritage Grants to 24 area arts organizations, community groups and schools. Two Brown County groups received $16,000 in arts grants and representatives from those groups are pictured. (L to R): Jodi Pohler, State Street Theater Company; Bethel Balge, Martin Luther College; Mary Ellen Domeier and Carolyn Borgen, State Street Theater Company; and Brenda Byron, PLRAC Executive Director.

NEW ULM — The Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council has awarded grants of $163,281 from the Arts and Culture Heritage Fund to 24 arts organizations, community groups and schools in the region.

Two New Ulm organizations received arts grants totaling $16,000. Martin Luther College received $8,000 and will host the Summit Avenue Music Series, three high quality chamber music concerts: Brahmsfest on Sept. 16; The Pro Arte Quartet on January 27; and Lydia Artymiw & Wilhelmina Smith on April 8. Funds will be used for artist fees.

State Street Theater Company received $8,000 and will sponsor acting workshops, a children’s theater camp, a series of theater performances including “The Butler Did It!”, “Christmas 1944”, and “Beauty & The Beast”; and continue its cable access show entitled “Something Artsy” during the 2018-19 season. Funds will be used for royalties, artist fees, and set construction and costume rental.

Other grantees in the region include: Blue Earth County-$49,081: Kearny International Center, Minnesota State University, Mankato $2,975; Mankato & North Mankato ACT on Alzheimer’s $8,000; Mankato Area Youth Symphony Orchestra $8,000; Mankato Children’s Chorus $8,000; Merely Players Community Theatre $8,000; Minnesota Valley Chorale $8,000; and Musicorum $6,106. Faribault County-$8,000: Blue Earth Valley Concert Association $8,000. LeSueur County-$10,000: DalekoArts, New Prague $8,000 and Montgomery Area Community Club $2,000. Martin County-$16,000: Fairmont Opera House $8,000 and Martin County Preservation Association, Red Rock Center for the Arts $8,000. Nicollet County-$29,760: Arts Center of Saint Peter $8,000; Minnesota Valley Sweet Adelines $6,880; Saint Peter Choral Society $6,880; and South Central Service Cooperative $8,000. Sibley County-$8,440: Arlington Chamber of Commerce $5,000 and Minnesota New Country School $3,440. Waseca County-$24,000: Project GEM $8,000; Waseca Arts Council $8,000; and Waseca-LeSueur Regional Library $8,000. Watonwan County-$2,000: St. James Community Education $2,000.

The Arts and Culture Heritage Fund was created by the people of Minnesota to support the arts and preserve our heritage. The Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, passed by the voters in 2008, created new resources for land conservation, water conservation, parks and the Arts.

In Region Nine these grant funds were awarded to organizations to increase their artistic offerings and to provide a variety of activities including: arts festivals, instrumental and vocal music concerts, theater and dance performances, visual art exhibitions, art and writing classes, public art, etc. “Arts and Cultural Heritage Grants were awarded to each of these twenty-four non-profit organizations ranging from $2,000 to $8,000 for a total of $163,281,” noted Brenda Byron, PLRAC Executive Director.

Grant guidelines and a link to online applications are available at www.plrac.org or by contacting Brenda Byron, Executive Director, at the Prairie Lakes office in Waseca, 1-800-298-1254 or plrac@hickorytech.net.