Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs provides support for West Michigan Symphony

Posted on September 21, 2018 in General by Megan James

Muskegon, Michigan, September 20, 2018 — West Michigan Symphony has been awarded a grant of $19,500 from the State of Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA). The grant was awarded through the MCACA peer review process and was one of 561 applications to compete for MCACA fiscal year 2019 funding.

Organizations receiving a MCACA grant award are required to match those funds with other public and private dollars. Local support of the project included the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, DTE Energy Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, Harbor Steel & Supply Corporation, Hines Corporation, Mercy Health, Meijer, Nichols, Northern Trust, PNC Bank, Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge, and Warner Norcross+Judd LLP, among many others.

The largest performing arts group in Muskegon County, WMS is a major tenant at the Frauenthal Center, performing an eight-concert core season and education concerts and activities impacting thousands of area youth. Its musicians are a critical part of the cultural capital of this revitalized lakeside community, the largest on the Lake Michigan coastline of the state. The majority are Michigan residents who perform in multiple organizations and as soloists throughout the state, serving as teachers and mentors to area music students. WMS is part of a network of arts organizations that make it possible for professional artists to live and work in West Michigan.

The MCACA peer review process allows for each grant application to be competitively considered by a panel of in-state and out-of-state arts and culture professionals. This ensures the taxpayers, who support this project through legislative appropriations, and all other visitors or residents in Michigan will have access to the highest quality arts and cultural experiences.

A complete list of grant awards around the state is available by contacting MCACA at (517) 241-4011, or by visiting the MCACA website at www.michigan.gov/arts.