West Virginia Division of Culture and History to Host Grant Workshops, Public Comment Meeting in Morgantown

 News…

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia Division of Culture and History and its citizen advisory board, West Virginia Commission on the Arts, will host two grant workshops and a public comment meeting in Morgantown Sept. 28 and 30.  The events are free and open to the public.

“It is important for us to be certain that the state’s arts programs and activities are reaching as many West Virginians as possible and that we provide contemporary services that meet the needs of our arts community, from individual artists to arts organizations and community projects,” said Renée Margocee, Arts director for the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.  “These meetings provide us opportunities to share news about our programs and to engage people in a discussion about arts in our state.”

The division will offer two grants workshops:

• Wednesday, Sept. 28, 5:30-7 p.m. at Arts Monongahela, 201 High Street in Morgantown. Debbie Rainey Haught, Cultural Facilities and Capital Resources grant coordinator, will lead the workshop.
• Friday, Sept. 30, 10:30 a.m.-noon, at Gladys G. Davis Theatre, West Virginia University College of Creative Arts, One Fine Arts Drive in Morgantown. Haught and P.J. Dickerscheid, Community Arts coordinator, will lead the workshop.

The public comment meeting will begin at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 30, at Arts Monongahela, 201 High St., in Morgantown. 

“Members of the West Virginia Commission on the Arts will join division staff members at this open forum,” said Margocee.  “We invite the public to offer their suggestions, observations and comments about state-funded grant programs and services for West Virginia artists and arts organizations.”

Margocee said that it is important for the agency and commission to hear what residents think about arts programs.  “As we develop strategic plans, we need input,” she said.  “The commission provides guidance in establishing the state’s arts plan and is responsible for approving grant awards made with federal and state funds.”

Public comments at this meeting are scheduled in 10-minute intervals on a first-come, first-served basis.  Attendees who want their comments to become part of the public record should submit those comments in writing.  People who cannot attend have the opportunity to share their thoughts by submitting written comments.

To schedule a comment time or to submit written comments, contact P.J. Dickerscheid at (304) 558-0240, ext. 148 or pamela.j.dickerscheid@wv.gov.

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

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