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October 19, 2020

Lamont announces $9M in grants for arts nonprofits

Hartford Stage received a $542,200 state grant through the COVID Relief Fund for the Arts.
By Sean Teehan

Gov. Ned Lamont announced the state will provide up to $9 million in grants for some nonprofit arts organizations that were hit hard by COVID-19 closures.

The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) will use federal CARES Act funding to provide grants to arts nonprofits that need money to avoid closing for good and ones that have been unable to fully resume operations (like performances) due to pandemic restrictions, according to Lamont's office.

“Many of our state’s nonprofit arts organizations are struggling to recover from [the pandemic's] impact," Lamont said. "This program will provide some support so that these groups can continue providing the services in our state that so many depend on.”

Organizations that qualify for the program will receive a base grant of $5,000, Lamont's office said. Organizations that raised money between March 10 and Nov. 20, 2020, could be eligible for a 50% match from DECD. The maximum award for a single organization is $750,000.

The pandemic has hit pretty much all nonprofits in the state, but arts organizations are in a particularly precarious position. That’s because in addition to not being able to hold — or sell tickets for — in-person events, state funding for many of these groups comes from hotel tax revenue, which is likely to shrink significantly as hotels are on pace to lose more than 57% of revenue per room in 2020, according to STE and Tourism Economics, which track the industry.

Since they were forced to close performance spaces in mid-March, Greater Hartford theater nonprofits have been leaning on donors, pumping up their online content and waiting on solid reopening guidelines.

Many arts venues have stayed afloat by getting money through the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program. Data issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration over the summer showed major Hartford arts venues took advantage of the program, which provided potentially forgivable loans to cover payroll and other costs, including The Bushnell (it received between $1 million and $2 million), Hartford Stage ($350,000 to $1 million) TheaterWorks ($150,000 to $350,000) and Hartford Symphony Orchestra ($350,000 to $1 million).

DECD's Office of Arts will accept applications between Oct. 23 and Nov. 3, and contracts must be executed by Dec. 30.

Arts organizations eligible for funding include:
 

  • Performing arts centers: Multi-purpose facilities for arts programming, including theaters that present live performances and/or live classes;
  • Performing groups: Groups of artists who perform works of art (e.g., an orchestra, theater, or dance group). To qualify, the organization must either own the venue in which it performs and/or spend more than 20 percent of its annual operating budget on rental of space used to perform.
  • Schools of the arts: Organizations that have arts education as its primary educational mission (e.g. community art schools).
     

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