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Jun 10, 2024
Arts

Artbloom awards $170,000 to 9 Rochester artists, art organizations

Photo of a mural at the Lincoln Library.

As part of the City’s Percent for the Arts program, Mayor Malik D. Evans announced that $170,000 has been awarded to local artists and arts organizations through ArtsBloom, an initiative to fund arts education, literary arts, performing arts and visual art across Rochester. This year’s ArtsBloom-funded projects will reach more than 600 children and 400 adults in the city, as well as more than 100 local dancers, teaching artists and educators.

“ArtsBloom showcases our dedication to supporting Rochester’s creative community and offering diverse arts opportunities, providing a platform for local artists and programming—a win-win for a city rich with artists and art lovers,” said Mayor Evans. “With more than 50 applicants this year, we are thrilled to expand the program’s reach and impact. Congratulations to the awardees, we are fortunate to live in a city that is truly of and for the arts.”

ArtsBloom awards

  • Carla Stough Huffman: $10,000 for four youth poetry and flash fiction workshops at the Rochester International Academy and three R-Centers, resulting in the creation of chapbooks.
  • Cordancia Chamber Orchestra: $20,000 for a free children's concert series featuring music of Black and Latinx composers, with narrators and color booklets.
  • Geva Theatre: $20,000 for ROC Geva Pass Phase II which will offer free theatre workshops and winter camps for ages 14 and up from the city’s lowest income zip codes.
  • Hochstein School: $20,000 for Dance Connections: Free World of Dance youth camps, weekly community classes, and professional development for city dance professionals.
  • Kuumba Consultants: $20,000 for The Wonderful Wizard of Roc City, a multidisciplinary performance inspired by community stories about home and belonging in Rochester that will take place across multiple city locations in 2025, celebrating the uniqueness of our community.
  • Rathaus Press: $20,000 for a free afterschool arts program for LGBTQ+ high school students, offering zine-making sessions and public showcases, alongside the creation of a free book documenting the program.
  • Rochester Latino Theatre Company: $20,000 for ”Alchemy of Healing,” a community art project based in several schools addressing identity and racial trauma through self-portraits, scar photography, and public exhibits.
  • ROC ROYAL, INC.: $20,000 for a free 8-week afterschool program fostering creative entrepreneurship for youth ages 7-18 through various art forms, culminating in a showcase of talents.
  • Writers & Books: $20,000 for free literary arts programs including SummerWrite camps and academic year workshops, fostering creativity, confidence, and literacy skills for youth aged 10-14.

Proposals for the next round of ArtsBloom funding will be solicited in Jan. 2025 for programming happening from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026.

The Percent for the Arts program aligns with the City’s vision for a more dynamic and equitable city of and for the arts as outlined in the Arts & Culture section of the Rochester 2034 Comprehensive Plan.

The concept for ArtsBloom was developed in partnership with an advisory panel of local artists and arts community members called the Arts and Creative Community Committee (AC3). 

More information on the City’s various arts and culture initiatives, including those dedicated to capital art (permanent physical installations), visit this page.