MAHOPAC – State Senator Pete Harckham announced this week that the Putnam Arts Council has been awarded a $44,000 state grant, which will help the nonprofit organization continue with its mission in supporting the visual, performing and literary arts in the county and surrounding area.
“Funding for the arts enriches the quality of life in our communities in so many ways, and it is also a proven economic multiplier in terms of an investment,” said Harckham. “Putnam Arts Council is a strong and steady supporter of artistic endeavors, and provides residents with different opportunities to express their creative gifts. I look forward to continuing partnering with them in the years ahead.”
The state funding for the Putnam Arts Council, now in its 58th year, is among the $7.7 million in grants being awarded this year by the State Council for the Arts. These grants for arts organizations typically support services and programs, technical assistance, targeted resources for creative projects and public engagement. The funding also helps with the administration of regrants.
“We truly appreciate this grant, which will help support quality arts programs open to the public,” said Joyce Picone, executive director of the Putnam Arts Council. “The funding helps support individual artists, and is essential for the continuous development of local arts groups that are run mostly by volunteers.”
The grant awarded to the Putnam Arts Council is part of the state’s Council for the Arts Statewide Community Regrants Program, an initiative that promotes local decision-making through regional arts organizations.
The Belle Levine Arts Center in Mahopac is a converted barn more than 100 years old that was once owned by the cartoonist Bud Fisher, who created the syndicated cartoon strip “Mutt and Jeff.” The building includes a gallery space, pottery and printmaking studios, offices and classrooms.
