Press release:
The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO ART!) has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support the Genesee-Orleans Culture Connects Series, which is called "GO-C."
This is a multi-month program to highlight, explore and increase appreciation for the artistic contributions of diverse ethnic and cultural populations of Genesee and Orleans counties. The project will enhance our region’s current arts offerings, and enable us to create new opportunities to feature our region’s diversity through performances, arts workshops/classes, screenings, lectures, exhibits, and historical presentations.
NEA (www.arts.gov) Chairman Jane Chu said, “The National Endowment for the Arts is committed to nurturing artists and the arts in communities across the country. Supporting projects from organizations like GO ART! represents a wise investment in both western New York and the creative vitality of the nation.”
At GO ART! the project is being led by Karen Canning, Director of GLOW Traditions, a traditional arts and folklife program shared by the arts councils of the GLOW region.
Canning says, “We want to create more spaces and places where people can celebrate their cultural heritage, experience cultures different than their own, and find connections that may otherwise remain hidden or forgotten.”
GO ART! began offering programs in the series last October, including a Mexican Sugar Skull Workshop for Día de los Muertos, a Celtic Christmas event as part of Batavia’s Christmas in the City, and “Hush Now: Poems to Read Aloud,” poetry workshops and reading by Annette Daniels Taylor in February.
Currently, the Bank of Castile Main Gallery features a traveling exhibit, “Dream of America,” showcasing the work and creative lives of Hispanic farmworkers in our state.
The series will extend through 2017, and includes collaborations with local libraries, festivals and town and village partners. GO-C events will feature the cultural and/or artistic contributions of ethnic communities in our region, historically and present-day. These include Italian, Polish, Irish, African American, Latino, Anglo, and Native American traditions.
Other events will highlight unique cultural traditions of our region, related to our particular histories, environment, agriculture and economies.
We welcome information about programs on these themes, to add to our listings and promotions of GO-C events. Call 585-343-9313, email glowtraditions@goart.org, or visit www.goart.org/go-c for a full listing.
