The Franke Center for the Arts has been awarded a grant of $15,000 from the State of Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA).

This grant money will allow The Franke Center to continue its mission to entertain, explore and enrich through performing arts. They will continue to maintain a historic arts venue where South Central Michigan area residents come to enjoy concerts, live theater, films, and more. The Center will remain a cultural and civic gathering center, engaging people in high quality arts and cultural activities that enrich the quality of life for all. Through their Franke Center Children’s Theater, The Franke Center will continue offering educational outreach opportunities in the arts to K-12 students in Calhoun County.

A portion of that grant was awarded through the National Endowments for the Arts (NEA). The Franke Center’s grant was awarded through the MCACA peer review process and was one of the 659 applications to compete for MCACA fiscal year 2020 funding.

“Taxpayer-funded grants like this one are absolutely vital for an arts organization like ours,” said Jacob Gates, The Franke Center’s executive director. “We are grateful for the support, and excited about all the great experiences and opportunities those funds will allow us to bring to the community.”

Franke Center for the Arts photo
Franke Center for the Arts photo
loading...

Organizations receiving a MCACA grant award are required to match those funds with other public and private dollars. Local support comes from area businesses including Oaklawn Hospital, Kellogg Community College, Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate, McDonald’s, Darling Ace Hardware, State Farm-Sandy Woods, Hemmingsen’s Drug Store, Edward Jones-Jason Rapelje, Schuler’s Restaurant, Bronson Healthcare, Hodges Jewelers, Team 1 Plastics, Chemical Bank, and Marshall Community Credit Union.

The Franke Center also receives significant community support through their annual appeal, fundraisers, and in-kind support from local businesses.

More From WBCKFM