BRATTLEBORO — Attendees at the first BEAN ("Brattleboro Essential Arts Network") Micro-Grant Dinner at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center on September 19 awarded grants totaling $800 to support three local art projects. The winning proposals were submitted by alumni of the New England Youth Theatre, In-Sight Photography Project, and early childhood educator and dance instructor Cyndal Ellis.
According to BMAC staff member Margaret Shipman, who organized the event, approximately 80 people paid $10 each to attend dinner at the museum. During dinner, which was prepared and served by Brattleboro's Elliot Street Café, guests read and discussed 24 funding requests, and then voted for the ones most deserving of the dinner proceeds.
“We were taken aback by the number of proposals we received and by the number of people who showed up for dinner and to vote,” said Shipman. “Obviously, this type of direct, democratic, community-based approach to arts philanthropy resonates with people."
Alumni of Brattleboro's New England Youth Theatre - including Jessica Callahan, Nick Bombicino, James Gelter, and Abbey Hadden - received a grant of $300 to help produce three shows that will tour to local schools. According to their proposal, the shows “combine theatre and literacy in a fun and exciting way.”
Brattleboro's In-Sight Photography Project received a grant of $300 to support its new Mobile Digital Program, which offers youth who are unable to commute to In-Sight an opportunity to learn about photography.
Early childhood educator and dance instructor Cyndal Ellis received a grant of $200 to support a creative movement class for young children with a focus on global dance and music. All three winners will give brief presentations at the next BEAN Dinner on the impact of their grants.
“Our goal with this program is to galvanize support for projects that contribute to the vitality of art and/or artists in our community,” said BMAC Director Danny Lichtenfeld. “We like the fact that process requires people to come together and make a collective decision. It's nice, too, that there's no single big funder. In fact, virtually anyone can be a funder, and everyone is on equal footing in the decision-making process. We look forward to hosting another dinner within a few months.”
For more information about BEAN Micro-Grant Dinners, visit www.brattleboromuseum.org or the Elliot Street Café.