Four local arts organizations recently received grants totaling $50,000 from the Women’s Impact Network of New Hanover County, according to a news release.

The WIN grant recipients are The Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County, The Cameron Art Museum, Brooklyn Arts Music Academy and Opera House Theatre Co., officials said in the release.

The Arts Council received a $20,000 award, which will help underwrite the cost of the Rail Trail Design and Engineering Study.

"The Wilmington Rail Trail is an effort by a cross-section of community stakeholders to transform the decaying infrastructure of the disused Atlantic Coast Line rail bed into a community gathering place, an anchor that will connect and enhance residential, cultural, commercial, and recreational districts," officials said in the release.

Cameron Art Museum received a $20,000 grant that will partially underwrite the cost of Boundless, a new permanent public sculpture by North Carolina artist Stephen Hayes.

"Boundless commemorates the little-known story of the legacy and agency of United States Colored Troops (USCT) in New Hanover County," officials said. 

The sculpture will be installed on the museum grounds in November.

The Brooklyn Arts Music Academy’s “Music is Life!” program received a $5,000 grant, stated the release.

"The program is aimed at young children who have had Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) – which include poverty, divorce, racism and physical abuse. Music is Life! engages children aged 3 to 5 with weekly instruction in singing and in playing the harp and violin. For children with ACEs, music has been shown to foster resilience in a number of ways," officials said in the release.

And the Opera House Theatre Co. received a $5,000 grant for its Multigenerational Theatre Arts Program, stated the release. 

"As its name suggests, the project will allow young people and older adults to learn and train together. WIN’s grant will help provide scholarships for at-risk youth, enabling them to take weekday performing arts and theater trade classes in the fall of 2021 and to be mentored by professionals in these fields," officials said.

WIN was founded in 2011 as a collective philanthropy organization.

"Its members’ annual financial contributions make up the funding pool each year, and its grant-making rotates each year among four areas of focus: education, health and wellness, the environment and arts and culture," stated the release.