This summer of 2023, artist Florence Thorne, requested a grant for a creative project she envisioned, from CHARAC. It came to fruition as a public art installation at the Sherman and Ruth Weiss Library grounds. It can be viewed from the highway as you pass by; the striking turquoise, orange and lavender arches made from painted saplings were woven through hardware cloth. The public was invited to help with the painting and installation and the CHARAC board was happy to fund such a vision for cultural and community engagement. Although it’s lovely viewed from the highway it’s even more striking to walk the trail to the installation and experience it close up, noting how the arches create a frame for each other as you move through and under them. It should be a new kind of experience once the snow is their base.
An important function of CHARAC is to provide funding for student scholarships and teacher grants, along with grants to individual artists. In the past year, CHARAC has awarded scholarships in the amount of $1,500 to two area graduating seniors who pursued a strong course of study in the arts and plan to continue their art education in college. We encourage this year’s seniors who are majoring in visual art, music, literary art, theater and dance to apply for this scholarship. The application can be found on the CHARAC website and the deadline is April 15, 2024.
Teacher grant requests are also encouraged. The more students who benefit, the better. Preferably the grant will also engage the community in some way. The grant funds can be used for materials that are not funded by the school budget, for teacher workshops or continuing education, field trips, etc. Drummond band teacher Kristine Lamb is the recent recipient of $1,000 for uniforms and transportation to Apple Fest for her band students. This year’s deadline for teacher grants is December 31st.