Heritage Fund, Arts Council Announce Welcoming Community Grant Award Recipients

COLUMBUS, IN – Heritage Fund – the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County and the Columbus Area Arts Council are pleased to announce the following recipients of Welcoming Community Grants totaling over $48,000.  The grant program was created to promote diversity and inclusion in and around the Aug. 26 unveiling of Exhibit Columbus installations. 

• Arts for Learning received a $4,750 grant to offer an event in Mill Race Park for families to engage in creative activities promoting cultural differences and commonalities.
• Ballet Folklorico Columbus received a $2,500 grant to purchase costumes for Mexican folk dance performances at local events including Ethnic Expo.
• Bartholomew County Historical Society received a $5,000 grant to conduct a heritage art class to explore how various cultures have used dyes throughout history.
• The Language Conservancy & Bartholomew County Public Library received a $4,350 grant to offer two events on Native American history and contemporary Native issues.
• Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives received a $5,000 grant to create the “Avenue of Architects” exhibit in the Bartholomew County Public Library.
• Columbus Young Professionals received a $3,500 grant to offer a traveling summer film series to take place at various downtown locations.
• Dancers Studio, Inc. received a $3,700 grant to collaborate with Indianapolis-based Dance Kaleidoscope on interpretative dances at Exhibit Columbus installations and a community performance.
• IUPUC, Division of Liberal Arts received a $4,003 grant to develop a program highlighting immigrant women in the community through stories displayed in downtown Columbus.
• Ivy Tech Community College Columbus, School of Art and Design received a $2,000 grant to create a visual arts exhibit at WellConnect to record and commemorate Exhibit Columbus.
• Pride Alliance Columbus received a $5,000 grant to collaborate with the Ensemble Theatre Columbus on the production of “The Laramie Project”.
• Saint Bartholomew Catholic Church received a $5,000 grant to document the immigrant experience through photographs taken by local immigrant adults and children for display in a downtown exhibit.
• Su Casa Columbus received a $3,950 grant to support the Mexican Independence Day community event.

Heritage Fund received 19 grant applications and reviewed more than $90,000 in grant requests. Thank you to all organizations that applied.  More information regarding the programs and events made possible through the Welcoming Community Grant program will be made available to the community this summer.

Welcoming Community remains an area of focus for Heritage Fund.  The mission of Heritage Fund is to provide responsible stewardship of gifts donated for broad charitable purposes; to develop leadership to address community issues; to serve as a catalyst for positive change in partnership with others; and to promote philanthropy broadly within the community.

For more information, contact Abbie Bush, grants manager, at 812-376-7772.