A variety of Cape Fear area organizations promoting arts initiatives and projects will receive grants from the Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County, officials announced recently.

The grant funds, which total $50,000, come from the N.C. Arts Council through its Grassroots Arts Program as well as from a gift from the Duke Energy Foundation.

The local arts council administers the grants.

“Last year 13 local organizations received a total of $22,000. This year, because of the gift from Duke Energy, we are able to provide $50,000 in grants to 17 organizations,” said Rhonda Bellamy, the arts council’s executive director. 

According to a news release, the grant dollars must be matched by the recipient organizations, doubling the direct dollars for arts programming.

The N.C. Arts Council provides grant money each year in all 100 counties in the state. New Hanover County’s Grassroots appropriation this fiscal year is $44,611 – half of which is used to provide operational support for the local arts council. The other half, or roughly $22,300, is earmarked for the grassroots grants, Bellamy said.

 “Every grant dollar invested by the state leverages an additional $17 from businesses, foundations and local government. The support of the statewide grants program by the General Assembly demonstrates the role the arts play in our economy and our quality of life,” Wayne Martin, executive director of the N.C. Arts Council, said in the release. “Nonprofit arts organizations employ workers, stimulate commerce, generate tax revenues and help communities retain their vibrancy.”

Local grant recipients for 2013-14 are:

Azalea Coast Chorus $900
Bellamy Mansion $500
Big Dawg Productions $1,600
Black Arts Alliance $6,000
Brigade Boys & Girls Club $1,500
Cape Fear Chorale $2,000
Chamber Music Wilmington $2,500
Cucalorus Film Foundation $5,000
Dreams of Wilmington $3,000
Friends of Public Radio $3,000
No Boundaries $2,000
Techmoja $4,500
Thalian Hall $3,000
UNCW Presents $3,000
Wilmington Ballet $3,000
Wilmington Concert Assoc. $2,500
Wilmington Symphony $6,000