NYSCA & NYS Canal Corporation Launch Erie Canal Bicentennial Funding Initiative and
other Exciting Grant Opportunities though Regional Economic Development Council
New York State’s rich cultural heritage and historic waterways will be central to a new, unique grant opportunity available through July 29 in a first-time inter-agency collaboration between the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the NYS Canal Corporation. The Erie Canal Bicentennial Grant Opportunity will award funds to organizations producing, presenting or exhibiting arts and cultural activities as part of the ongoing Erie Canal Bicentennial (ECB) Celebration 2017-2025. The opportunity is available through the NYSCA REDC program, which is dedicated to the promotion of economic development through the arts. NYSCA REDC-Erie Canal Bicentennial awards encourage creative storytelling about the canal through public engagement such as performances, exhibitions and site-specific celebrations; engaging youth through social media, the Internet and websites to tell their stories of life along the canal; and events honoring historic and working vessels such as barge transportation along NY waterways from Brooklyn to Buffalo. The New York State Council on the Arts will be awarding up to $5 million in FY17 REDC grants. NYSCA’s full range of REDC grant opportunities includes : Arts, Culture and Heritage New Initiatives – Planning, which encompasses arts and cultural mapping projects, master plans, and branding or marketing plans; Arts, Culture and Heritage New Initiatives – Implementation, which in addition to the ECB focus area is open to projects commemorating the Women’s Suffrage Centennial and previous Planning grant recipients; and Workforce Investment, which supports wages to hire new employees or increase a part-time employee’s hours.The NYSCA REDC-ECB Implementation Awards will range from $10,000 - $75,000. Projects must take place during the calendar year 2017. Priority will be given to REDC-Erie Canal Bicentennial projects that:
- Celebrate historic and cultural milestones in the development of the Canal,
- Demonstrate the relevance of the Canal to contemporary communities,
- Identify activity that leads to a lasting Canal legacy for future generations, and
- Exhibit creative storytelling by youth (ages 10-18) using digital technology.
The Erie Canal launched the growth of New York State as an ambitious and innovative infrastructure project that spurred the rapid development of communities both upstate and downstate. It has had an enduring impact along all of New York’s inland waterways and canal system.
For the ECB Opportunity, NYSCA and NYS Canals are seeking projects that reinforce the cultural value of the Canal, its heritage and future legacy for generations to come, as the singular waterway it is, from the Canal Corridor to the Hudson River, Champlain Canal and New York Harbor. This initiative exemplifies NYSCA’s support of creative collaborations and the sharing of resources to maximize artistic innovation and quality.
This opportunity is statewide. Historic and cultural links to the Erie Canal Corridor can be found from the Great Lakes, to the Mohawk River and Lake Champlain, to the Hudson River and New York Harbor, including a vast system of feeder canals and related communities throughout New York.
Applicants may apply to both NYSCA and the Canal Corporation for separate components of the same project, respective to each agency’s guidelines. Expenses for the same activity cannot be included in proposals to both agencies.
Applications made to this program are submitted through the online Consolidated Funding Application, CFA. To access the information on the Regional Economic Development Program and to access the CFA grant portal, please visit http://regionalcouncils.ny.gov
To access NYSCA REDC Guidelines please visit http://www.arts.ny.gov/public/guidelines/regional_economic_Dev/index.htm
Applications will not be accepted after 4PM on July 29, 2016.
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About the New York State Council on the Arts
The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) champions community and creativity by preserving and advancing all facets of the cultural heritage that makes New York State an exceptional, one-of-a-kind place to live, work and visit. These aims are primarily achieved through the agency’s grant-making activity. Annually, the agency awards $41 million to more than 1,200 organizations statewide.
The projects, artists and organizations NYSCA supports reflect the richness and diversity of the State’s citizens and visitors. From New York City’s landmarks to traditional artisans in the North Country, from international dance companies to teaching artists in inner-city schools, the impact of the agency’s funding can be seen in all of the State’s 62 counties. Annually, NYSCA’s funding helps to engage new audiences, introduce children to the arts, drive artistic excellence and innovation, build organizational capacity and support our State’s pillar organizations.
Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller and the New York State Legislature in 1960, NYSCA is an agency of the Executive Branch of the New York State Government. For more information on NYSCA, please visit: www.arts.ny.gov
About the NYS Canal Corporation
The New York State Canal system is comprised of four historic waterways, the Erie, Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga-Seneca Canals. Spanning 524 miles, the waterways link the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes, Niagara River and Lake Erie with communities rich in history and culture. For more information about the New York State Canal system, visit www.canals.ny.gov.
