Ancram, NY – Ancram Center for the Arts announced today a grant award totaling $50,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the organization’s theater renovation and expansion. This grant is part of a capital project funding announcement by NYSCA, which totals over $32 million to 102 capital projects across New York State.
The grant will go towards the renovation of a recently acquired adjacent building to provide accommodations to those working at the theater and a community room for the Center’s many free classes and workshops. The new building, called The Annex, will also be made available to other Ancram groups needing space for meetings and small gatherings.
“We are extremely grateful to Governor Hochul and NYSCA for this grant,” said Jeffrey Mousseau, Ancram Center Co-Director. “In 2023 Ancram Center produced 90 events, including theatrical productions, concerts, and workshops for around 1,700 individuals. We’re bursting at the seams in our current space, and this grant is a big step toward helping us expand our existing footprint and fulfill our mission of bringing innovative contemporary theater and vital community programs to the community.”
“The over 100 projects we’re supporting through this funding will showcase arts and cultural organizations across the state and spur economic development for decades to come,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said. “From historic sites to new multi-use arts centers, these diverse projects will expand the accessibility and the sustainability of arts and culture organizations while growing local economies, driving tourism and creating jobs all across New York State.”
New York State Council on the Arts Executive Director Erika Mallin said, “We are grateful to Governor Hochul and the Legislature for their support. These projects are essential to the prosperity and well-being of our creative industry and our communities, especially as we continue to navigate the recovery of our creative sector. This support will help stimulate local economies, catalyze investment in our communities and help to ensure the vibrancy of our cultural organizations for now and for the future. Congratulations to Ancram Center for the Arts, NYSCA is a proud supporter of your contributions to New York’s arts and culture.”
About Ancram Center for the Arts
Ancram Center for the Arts is an award-winning theater located in New York’s Hudson Valley. Housed in an historic Grange Hall, Ancram Center has since 2016 presented groundbreaking theater and musical performances by nationally recognized theater artists. Ancram Center receives significant annual support from the New York State Council on the Arts and in 2023 was awarded a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information visit www.ancramcenter.org
About the New York State Council on the Arts
The mission of the New York State Council on the Arts is to foster and advance the full breadth of New York State’s arts, culture, and creativity for all. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, the Council on the Arts will award $127 million in FY 2024, serving over 2,000 arts organizations and artists across all 10 state regions. The Council on the Arts further advances New York’s creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit www.arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA’s Facebook page, on X @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.