Foundation for Roanoke Valley Announces Major Grant from its Arts and Culture Initiative

Foundation for Roanoke Valley announced today it has awarded a $40,000 grant to Mill Mountain Theatre under the Foundation’s three year, $300,000 Arts & Culture Initiative.  The grant will underwrite Mill Mountain’s Summer Theatre Program in Roanoke’s Market Square.

“Funding by Foundation for Roanoke Valley enables Mill Mountain Theatre to do two important things, said Ginger Poole, MMT’s Producing Artistic Director.  “It is critical to our ability to launch a whole new program of summer performances that animate Market Square and entertain Roanokers and tourists who are visiting our community.  It also is part of our core mission since 1983 when MMT was the anchor organization at the then-new Center in the Square.”

The Foundation's Arts & Culture Initiative, funded through its unrestricted Community Catalyst Funds, has two distinct focus areas.  "Arts at Work," through which this current grant is awarded, provides one major grant annually to a carefully selected Roanoke Valley arts and cultural project that has an important and identifiable economic development component, strongly contributes to the overall vibrancy of the community, and which otherwise might not be possible.  The production of public art work, the production of community-wide arts and cultural events and performances and bringing major arts and cultural exhibits to the Valley will be funded under this portion of its initiative.  "Educate. Inspire. Create." is designed to significantly enrich the arts and cultural experiences of preK-12 students of public and private schools within the cities of Roanoke and Salem and the counties of Botetourt, Craig, Franklin and Roanoke.

Foundation for Roanoke Valley, the region's community foundation, currently administers 300 named endowment funds on behalf of the community and works diligently to help local individuals and families establish permanent charitable legacies that will touch the community now and for generations to come.  Unrestricted endowments are particularly powerful as they provide the Foundation with the flexibility over time to seek out and fund highly effective programs across a wide range of community needs.  Individuals interested in establishing their own personal or family legacy through an unrestricted endowment or any of the many other types of endowment funds offered by the community foundation should visit www.foundationforroanokevalley.org or call (540) 985-0204.

  

 

Pictured L to R: Cynthia Lawrence, MMT Board Vice-President; Ginger Poole Avis, MMT Producing Artistic Director; Nancy Dye, FRV Board Member; Michelle Eberly, FRV Program Officer