ArtSplash Grants Available

, a community celebration for arts education taking place this year on September 24th-25th in Carlsbad, invites North County schools and teachers to apply for grants to fund arts and music programs taking place in school year 2011-12. The application deadline is August 1, 2011. Recipients will be notified by September 1, 2011. Grant guidelines and applications are at carlsbadartsplash.org/grant.htm.

ArtSplash Chairperson Joni Miringoff states, “Our grants are modest, typically in the $700 range. They are often accompanied by matching funds from the recipient organizations. I am always amazed and delighted by the imaginative and enriching projects accomplished by teachers with a modicum of money and a wealth of creativity.”

Over the past three years, ArtSplash has nearly $15,000 to school projects. Organizers hope to provide a total of $5,000 in grants this year.

During 2010-11, grants totaling $2,450 supported diverse arts and music programs at five North County schools, including one at San Marcos Middle School and four at sites. Among these, used a grant to establish a chorus for 30 students in grades 3-5. BV Music Educator Kate Battenfeld says, “I am so grateful to ArtSplash for supporting music-making in the schools. Music impacts all facets of learning and also brings communities together. I am very proud of the work the chorus has accomplished this year.”

create a school-wide mosaic project under Visual Arts teacher Tara Clark in which each of the school’s 23 K-5 classes designed and crafted a unique tiled back-splash for their classroom sink. The mosaic will be submitted to the 2011 San Diego County Fair’s "Creative Youth" competition. Clark reports, “This project, made possible thanks to ArtSplash’s generosity, is intended to raise awareness of the arts, make art accessible to all students, beautify the school and give students the opportunity to take ownership of their learning environment.”

Miringoff states, “Supporting the arts is our reason for being. The free ArtSplash chalk and entertainment festival gives visitors an opportunity to view, sample and purchase art. Then, we use the proceeds to enable the spirit of creativity to continue soaring in our community.”

For more information about “ArtSplash 2011 … Rock Around the Beach,” please visit CarlsbadArtSplash.org. Miringoff promises, “The fun will come in waves!’