NEWPORT, OR – December 4, 2018 — In an awards ceremony that took place on November 23, 2018, all of the Lincoln County School District North Area schools celebrated being selected for 2019 grants. The grants will allow them to bring musicals, assistants, and equipment necessary to support music in schools thanks to the Lincoln County Cultural Coalition and Sponenburgh Grants.
Oceanlake Elementary students will see the musical production of Dragons Love Tacos at the Lincoln City Cultural Center in March. They received $1,300 through The Sponenburgh Memorial Trust Grants for arts (music priority) education for youth, in collaboration with Lincoln County Foundation to support the ticket costs for 410 students.
At Taft Elementary School, 6th-grade students have the choice of taking either band or choir to meet the school’s music instruction requirement. They received a grant from the Sponenburgh Memorial Trust for furniture, supplies, and materials for the sustainability of the 6th-grade band program in 2018-19.
Principal Becca Bostwick explained, “This year our band program moved down to Taft Elementary from Taft 7-12, which resulted in incurred needs for our 155 participating students, such as chairs, music stands as well as items to continue the growth of the program including reeds and sheet music.”
With this new round of funding ($1,300), combined with additional support from the Lincoln City Parent Group, Taft Elementary received the Lincoln County Cultural Coalition grant for the Oregon Ballet Theater to come and do a two-day Artist in Residency and professional dance performance at the Lincoln City Cultural Center this spring. All 565 students at Taft will receive dance instruction.
In addition, Studios to Schools, a partnership with Siletz Bay Music Festival and Lincoln City Cultural Center, received a Cultural Coalition Grant for $1,300. This money will be used to support community music assistants for small group sessions on specific instruments for 6th grade beginning band students at Taft Elementary and middle school music students at Taft 7-12.
Taft 7-12 also received $1,300 dollars for the school’s drama program. The funds will support the purchase of sets, costumes, and other supplies for the production of SHREK the Musical. Musical auditions are held in December with April performances for school groups and the public.
Finally, in partnership with Family Promise of Lincoln County, Lincoln City Cultural Center, and Title VI Indian Education, North Area schools will be able to provide a free family evening showing of
¡Corre! ¡Corre! This bilingual production will also be part of LCSD outreach support in partnership with the LCSD Hispanic Liaison.
“We are so thrilled for our students and families to be able to bring this amazing cultural programming to our youth,” shared Dr. Karen Gray, Superintendent of Lincoln County School District. “From musicians offering one-on-one coaching, to being able to have a multi-cultural offering for our Hispanic families, these grants are so well-received and vital. Thank you so much to LCCC and the Sponenburgh Trust for all of the continued support.”
The Lincoln County Cultural Coalition (LCCC), which receives funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust, is seeking applications for funding from arts, heritage and humanities organizations and individuals (through sponsorship by a qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization).
Applicants seeking funding must address one of the following priorities: 1) Improve access to cultural experiences; 2) Raise the cultural awareness of youth (pre-school through 12); 3) Facilitate infrastructure improvements.
In addition to offering the annual “County Cultural Grants,” LCCC announces a granting opportunity to support arts education (priority music) for elementary and middle school students in Lincoln County. This funding is provided in partnership with the Lincoln County Foundation’s Mark Sponenburgh Memorial Trust.
Photo includes (from left to right):
Majalise Tolan, Secondary Teaching and Learning Administrator, Nick Lupo, Principal of Taft 7-12, Sandy Mummey, Principal of Oceanlake Elementary, and Becca Bostwick, Principal of Taft Elementary at the Lincoln County Cultural Coalition and Sponenburgh Memorial Trust awards ceremony on November 23 at the Toledo Public Library.