Deserves more than a shoutout…
Each year, the SLC Arts Council in NNY facilitates the NYSCA State Community Arts Regrant Program for Northern New York. Countless New Yorkers apply for different types of grants, with varying ideas, projects, performances, books, program proposals, arts curriculum to implement, potential community members to benefit, and more. Dependent on the grant (3 types) a similar amount of agencies and organizations accept invitations to partner with, help host or otherwise support them if they are selected to receive the grant, to assist in making their dreams for art students and the community a reality.
SLC Arts Council holds the Regrant information sessions- both all over the North Country and online, is always available to answer questions, receives all of the grant applications, appoints esteemed impartial review panels to sort through/decide grant recipients, every year. This program gives back much more to the community than I was aware of when I first applied.
In October, SLC Arts Council hosted a 2025 Grants recipients celebration. I was able to attend (as a four-time recipient, proudly and gratefully), and had been given the honor of being the featured artist with an interactive art demonstration for the event. It was an absolute delight and privilege to do so, and to meet and see many of the other 2025 recipients.
We each sewed one of a multitude of charms onto the “Roots and Branches” of a tree that I painted on a canvas with a scene of a cliff by the sea, under a starry night sky. People selected their favorite charm or the one that most resonated with them or their year’s grant project, and when they were finished sewing it on, they signed the back by their knot, with a sharpie. It was a great ice-breaker! Not every one of the artsy people there were painters, but almost none of us had ever sewn a charm on a painting before. Not too much pressure, some fun and novel connection shared. Delicious refreshments, lovely music and entertainment.
Overall, a wonderful celebration of individuals in a community who are enthusiastically committed to bringing more art to the world in a myriad of creative ways, which also highlights the incredible network of tireless individuals in Northern New York who help to make this program a reality. Bravo and huge gratitude to both the 2025 Grantees, and the NYSCA State Community Arts Regrants team at SLC Arts Council.
Thank you to Naomi Tapia for the photos!
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