Community Arts Grants

Arts council awards 2026 community grants

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CANANDAIGUA (June 20, 2026) – The Ontario County Arts Council has awarded microgrants to five local organizations for projects that promote the arts in the community.

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Paints & Rec will receive a $1,000 grant to fund scholarships for underprivileged youth who participate in a project to paint murals at the Greater Canandaigua Civic Center this summer. A reveal ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 14 at 6 p.m.

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Friends of the Bristol Valley Playhouse Foundation will receive $1,000 to provide 40 free tickets, normally $25, to performances of “A Year with Frog and Toad” July 9-12 and 15-18 at Bristol Valley Theater. Staff in the Marcus Whitman and Honeoye school districts will identify low-income families likely to benefits from attendance.

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The Finger Lakes Film Festival will receive $1,000 to help cover meals, accommodations, and transportation for visiting filmmakers and to support accessibility by providing ASL interpreters. The 2027 festival will be held  Feb. 26 and 27 in Geneva.

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The Marcus Whitman Band & Guard Boosters will receive $500 to cover costs for a professional ensemble to headline the Jazz Festival portion of the Gorham Pageant of Bands being brought back after a 10-year hiatus on May 21 and 22, 2027.

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The Dove Block Project in Geneva will receive $500 to defray costs for its fifth Sunday Open Mic events to be held on Aug. 30 and Nov. 29, 2026, and Jan. 31 and  May 30, 2027.

The Ontario County Arts Council awards community grants each year. The application announcement is posted on the council website. In addition to grants, the council funds a scholarship for a second-year Finger Lakes Community College student studying the arts. It also hosts art exhibits and events at the Ontario County Historical Society and the new Gallery 32 at 32 S. Main St. in partnership with Finger Lakes Community College. To become a member or learn more about the arts council, visit ocarts.org