HVCA Receives $15,000 Grant To Strengthen Arts And Culture Resources

DANBURY — The Housatonic Valley Cultural Alliance (HVCA) has been awarded a $15,000 grant from The Fairfield County Community Foundation to support and promote arts, history, and cultural resources in the community. The award is a highly competitive grant and it recognizes that art and culture are essential assets in the community.

This award will help HVCA continue its work to develop and promote workshops for organizational and professional development, to make possible the sharing of ideas, and to build stronger networks among industry peers with all disciplines and across other sectors of business as well.

HVCA services include promotional opportunities through special marketing initiatives and an online regional calendar of events, which is a direct benefit to the general public. HVCA is a growing resource for local, state and national news related to grant and exhibit opportunities, technical assistants, leading thinking, and more that cultural resources can take advantage of.

HVCA also seeks to increase art, history, and culture as a priority in the community through advocacy efforts and by seeking opportunities to help make the arts more accessible. Examples include the “Accessible Art” project through Danbury City Hall and the juried art exhibit at Danbury Mall.  All HVCA services are available to more than 400 creative entities throughout the ten town region of Bethel, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield and Sherman.

“Healthy cultural communities make for stronger communities, says Lisa Scails, executive director of HVCA. “HVCA has a unique and now better opportunity to help strengthen the voice and contribution of art, history, and cultural resources in the community. We are extremely proud of the partnership we have with Fairfield County Community Foundation and the honor given to us to continue our work for 2010.”

“Promoting and improving collaboration across the arts, culture and historical organizations in the region results in more and better services in each community,” said Susan Ross, president and CEO of The Fairfield County Community Foundation. “We are pleased with HVCA’s record of developing programs to strengthen communities and are happy to help them further their work.”

The Fairfield County Community Foundation promotes the growth of community and regional philanthropy to improve the quality of life throughout Fairfield County. Individuals, families, corporations and organizations can establish charitable funds and contribute to existing funds.

The foundation also provides philanthropic advisory services and develops and leads initiatives to tackle critical community issues.  It is in compliance with the Council on Foundations’ national standards for community foundations.  The foundation has awarded over $110 million in grants to nonprofits in Fairfield County and beyond.

The Housatonic Valley Cultural Alliance (HVCA) is a regional arts agency that provides services to creative assets in its ten-town region. It aims to increase the network, collaboration and conversation within the arts, historical and cultural community as well as among business and other interest groups. For more information call 203-798-0760 or visit HVCulturalArts.org.