Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts gives COVID-19 grants to Fall River non-profits

Many organizations are hurting due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the arts in Fall River is no exception.

The Creative Commonwealth Initiative of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts has announced that they are awarding $125,000 in unrestricted grants to arts and culture nonprofits to support organizations and artists in the SouthCoast.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Community Foundation has decided to go off course from their planned grant giving and offer immediate unrestricted financial support to New Bedford and Fall River organizations involved in the arts.

President John Vasconcellos gave a little background into how the CFSEMA will be supporting the local arts community.

“There is a total of 24 grants ranging from $3,000-$7,000 that will be administered to support nonprofits, thus allowing the leadership of these organizations to determine their best use in response to the pandemic. For some with strong ties to the artist community, portions of their grant will be utilized to pay artists directly or to commission them for collaborative programming. In addition to these grants, the Community Foundation is exploring ways of offering technical assistance to organizational leaders.”

“We are dedicated to increasing accessible and equitable grant-making. As one of our Strategic Pillars, Arts and Culture has been and will continue to be a priority in our work. Now more than ever, people have been turning to the arts for comfort, solace, and hope. We are proud to support arts and culture in Fall River and New Bedford.”

Here is a list and background of the Fall River arts organizations that will be receiving the grants courtesy of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts.

The Day of Portugal Fall River celebration is designed to appeal to a variety of people, with family-friendly and free activities for people of all ages. Promoting the country and culture of Portugal is the organization’s primary mission and goal. In order to achieve the goal, Day of Portugal Fall River features a variety of musical, cultural, and culinary experiences that evokes pride and generates curiosity in the hearts and minds of those who attend.

FABRIC Arts Festival is a celebration of art, music, community, and the city of Fall River, Massachusetts. The festival merges Fall River’s past and present narratives and showcases them across the city’s urban structures and dynamics. As it strives to preserve tradition by crossing it with new artistic forms, the festival will draw from the city’s rich cultural and geographic contexts to establish a synergistic dialogue with its territory and local communities, extending an invitation to direct participation of the city’s population and its visitors.

The Fall River Symphony Orchestra is committed to providing performance opportunities for local musicians and to present classical and popular music concerts by a full symphonic orchestra.

The Gnome Surf’s mission is to create happiness, smiles and heal kids globally through Surfing, Art, and Yoga. Their programming is for all kids of all abilities and socio-economic backgrounds. They aim to teach concepts of love, positivity, and kindness.

The Greater Fall River Art Association is home to nine resident artists working and teaching in a variety of media. The GFRAA offers inspiration to visitors where working artists welcome visitors. Classes are taught on a regular basis throughout the year and workshops are offered monthly.

The Mass Apsara Dance Troupe helps pass down Cambodian traditions from generation to generation by preserving and teaching dance and music culture in Southeastern Massachusetts. They also assist with citizenship applications and teach Khmer and English classes.

The Narrows Center for the Arts has a mission to promote and develop an appreciation of the visual and the performing arts. Artist studios are one component of their ever-growing and successful cultural arts center. An open studio door is a welcome invitation to all the arts enthusiasts who attend live performances and/or visit Narrows Gallery exhibitions.

Our Lady of Light Band is considered a Philharmonic Marching Brass Band musical ensemble. The band primarily consists of brass, percussion and woodwind musicians. The Marching form is based on traditional Military style; playing ceremonial and marching music, including national and religious anthems, while street marching.