As noted in the March 17 Bulletin, the Manitou Arts, Culture, and Heritage board recommended 27 grants to Tier 2 nonprofits, and Manitou Springs City Council approved all of them at its March 15 meeting.
Sara Gallagher, a MACH board member, spoke about how this grant cycle compares to previous ones. She noted that well-presented applications increased, and the board was able to fund 84 percent of requests compared to 55 percent last year.
“We devoted considerable effort toward improving our application instructions, promoting the application and providing public training opportunities. We are glad these actions paid off and resulted in more effective proposals,” she said.
Most of this cycle’s applications pertained to existing programs, such as stipends for artists whose work is chosen for the Art on the Avenue program. But the board also welcomes new projects.
“If you have an innovative new idea, we encourage you to assemble a team with the ability to carry out your proposal, and to apply for funding,” Gallagher said.
The board focuses on creative projects that add to Manitou’s unique atmosphere. The projects unlikely to get the green light are the ones that impact only the applicant or a few others, have miscalculated the amount needed or haven’t gathered an experienced team to carry out the plan.
She suggests watching a training video, accessible through the MACH page on the city website (www.manitouspringsgov.com, search for Manitou Arts Culture and Heritage Board) and/or attending a public training session about how to submit a successful application.
“We are so proud that this sales tax supports Manitou creatives in making our city an even more vibrant place to live and visit,” Gallagher said.
She’s enjoyed working on the board with other residents who are passionate about Manitou’s character and creativity. The board has space for two alternate members and two terms will end this July.
“We need board members with varying areas of expertise. So, whether you’re an artist or an accountant (or both!) if you’re invested in our city’s arts, culture and heritage, your skills will be helpful on our team.”
Representatives from a few of the Tier 2 nonprofits also commented on the program and their projects.
Lawrence G. Jones, who shepherded Manitou Springs EPIC to a $2,500 MACH grant, talked about the nonprofit, which stands for Educational Partnerships Immersive Concerts. The goal is to pair outstanding local musicians with national and international stars for casual, fun and welcoming events that still maintain high artistic standards.
“We are not another ‘stuffy’ classical music series,” Jones emphasized. “Manitou Springs fits our ‘vibe’ to perfection, and we proved this during our Oct. 16, 2021, MACH-sponsored concert at the Manitou Art Center.”
That concert featured New York-based violinist Ariel Horowitz performing with local musicians.
EPIC’s next concert will feature Petteri Iivonen, a native of Finland and the Paris National Opera Orchestra’s concertmaster (first violin). He’ll be accompanied by Andrew Staupe, a pianist who teaches at the University of Houston, and Sergei Vassiliev, who created EPIC and the Colorado Springs Philharmonic’s principal clarinetist.
The concert will take place 7-9 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at the Manitou Art Center, 513 Manitou Ave. Tickets are $39 (Manitou residents receive 50 percent discounts), and wine will be available at a cash bar. Information: www.epicmustsee.org.
“The MACH grant is incredibly important to us as we further our mission of bringing a fresh approach to the southern Colorado music scene. We do this by combining classical music with other music genres and other art forms to produce a strong visual and interactive component to the concert experience,” said Jones, EPIC board chair.
Austin Doten is working on the Bathhouse Historical Information Exhibit, which received a $3,000 grant. He’s gathering information and images about the Spa Building and Soda Spring to be displayed in the Spa Building rotunda and, possibly, first-floor hallways.
“The building has a history of its own that is relevant to Manitou Springs. We get thousands of visitors walking though the building for various reasons every year,” Doten said.
“I would like to offer visitors a chance to learn about the building as a historic landmark, and Soda Spring housed within.”
He’s working with Manitou Springs Heritage Center volunteers and Spa Building residents, and local historian Deborah Harrison has offered historic photos of the building and the site.
Sophie L. Thunberg of Children of Gaia CO, which received $5,000, spoke about that group’s mission and plans. The collective of residents, children, parents, grandparents and neighbors use artistic expression and community action to rise up against racial, social and environmental injustice.
Funds will help Black artists perform their craft in the MAC parking lot, with the centerpiece a 12-foot-tall Black Mother Earth who symbolizes justice, creativity and loss. The event (on a date to be determined) will highlight music, poetry, ceremony, remembrance and celebration.
“Through community art activism, we want to make something beautiful, powerful and impossible to ignore,” Thunberg said. “We are extremely grateful for a community that works to support the global majority through the arts.”
MACH also funded the event in 2021.
Recover Simply received $4,800 in MACH funds for its ongoing Recover the Fun program, which provides creative activities for people in recovery from substance use disorder.
The community at large also can join the free “sober art” activities, which take place 7-9 p.m. on first and third Wednesdays at the MAC. Recover Simply received MACH funding last year, and the additional MACH funds this year will support the second monthly gatherings.
“The funds pay for Manitou artists’ time and the supplies needed to facilitate different projects. We have recovery coach professionals in attendance as well, for anyone needing additional support or resources,” said project organizer Rachel Fowler.
Don’t forget, the MACH board also awards mini-grants for up to $750. Information is available on the page mentioned above.