By Howard Packowitz
NORMAL – The annual ritual of Normal’s town government awarding taxpayer money for the arts is different this year.
The Normal Town Council is being asked Monday night to approve $25,000, or half the amount offered in previous years to various groups that promote the arts. The council earlier this year agreed to the cutbacks to help close a $4.25 million budget deficit.
The Harmon Arts Grant Program was created in 1993 to honor former Mayor Paul Harmon.
A report to the council said the town received 28 grant applications requesting $74,297. A review committee that included Harmon and Mayor Chris Koos chose to award grants to 18 of the organizations, with Illinois State University’s Shakespeare Festival, the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and the Prairie Fire Theater receiving the largest grants of $2,000 each.
Here’s a complete list of the 2018 Harmon Arts Grant awards:
1 Brass Band of Central Illinois $1,100
2 Community Players Theatre $600
3 Crossroads Area Student Theatre (CAST) $600
4 Further Jazz $1,200
5 Heartland Theatre $1,500
6 Illinois Symphony Orchestra $2,000
7 Illinois Voices Theatre $750
8 ISU ? Midwest Institute of Opera $1,850
9 ISU ? Shakespeare Festival $2,000
10 ISU – Universities Gallery $1,750
11 IWU – Illinois Chamber Music Festival $1,200
12 McLean County Arts Center $1,500
13 NCWHS Bands $1,000
14 Prairie Fire Theatre $2,000
15 Sound of Illinois $1,000
16 Twin Cities Ballet $1,500
17 USA Ballet $1,500
18 YWCA Express Yourself $1,950
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
