The Tri-County Arts Council is pleased to announce the beginning of the New York State 2019 Decentralization (DEC) regrant application process. Community Arts, Arts Education and Individual Artist grants are funded by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Decentralization Program with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The Tri-County Arts Council, formerly known as the Cattaraugus County Arts Council, administers these grants in Allegany, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties through a competitive application process. A peer panel reviews the applications from local artists, arts and cultural organizations, and decides which programs will receive regrants. The funded programs must be completed in the 2019 calendar year.

All new applicants are required to attend a grant workshop or meet individually with Tri-County Grants and Development Coordinator Kara Frisina before applying. These free informational workshops offer assistance in understanding the grant process, the program guidelines and provide grant writing tips. The grant workshops will be held from July through September at various locations in Allegany, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties. Interested applicants can find the list of scheduled workshops on the Tri-County Arts Council website, www.myartscouncil.net. Workshop attendees must RSVP by email to kara@myartscouncil.net or phone 372-7455, noting their preferred workshop date and time. The deadline for completed 2019 grant applications is 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5.

The Individual Artist grant opportunity provides an award of $2,500 to a professional artist for the creation of new work with a public exhibition or showing. The goal of this grant is to support the creative work of artists at the local level while encouraging interaction between artists and community members to highlight the role of the artist as a community resource. Visual, literary, media, musical, multi-dimensional and performing artists are all encouraged to apply.

The Arts Education (AE) grants range from $500-$5,000 and can support arts education projects that take place in-school during the school day and/or in after-school and community-based settings for youth and/or senior learners. Emphasis is placed on the depth and quality of the creative process through which participants learn through or about the arts.

Community Arts (CA) grants are competitive arts grants that range from $500 to $5,000 and provide financial assistance for community-based arts and culture programs by eligible nonprofit organizations or sponsored artists in Allegany, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties. DEC grant support enables emerging professional artists and organizations to grow professionally and to enhance the cultural climate in communities and neighborhoods where they live and operate.

The Tri-County County Arts Council is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the creation, presentation, and appreciation of the arts in the Southern Tier. Located in Allegany, the Arts Council is funded by the New York State Council on the Arts. For more information on the Tri-County Arts Council visit www.myartscouncil.net.