The Long Beach Camerata Singers announced last week that it has received a $23,900 grant from the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the largest it has ever received from the commission and the largest awarded to a small-budget arts organization this cycle.
Now preparing for its 46th season as the city’s premiere community-based choral organization, the Camerata Singers say that the amount awarded this year is “a substantial increase” from previous grants received from the L.A. County Arts Commission. The Camerata Singers will be using the two-year grant money to support soloists, guest artists and orchestra players for the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 seasons.
L.A. County Arts Commission awarded more than $4 million in grants this year to 175 arts organizations throughout the region. Each organization that submits an application is separated by its budget size (small, mid-size 1, mid-size 2 or large) and then scored based on its project proposal with award amounts then chosen based on these factors.
The Camerata Singers’ concert-support project was given a 93.33 score, one of the top ten highest scores given this cycle. In the 2012-2013 season, the grant money will be used for performances of the Mozart’s Requiem on October 21, Handel’s Messiah on December 1 and the opening concert of the Long Beach Bach Festival, which will take place on March 2 and March 3 of next year.
Other Long Beach organizations that received LACAC grants this year include the Museum of Latin American Art ($43, 800) and Arts & Services for the Disabled ($34,000). Missing from this year’s list, however, are Khmer Arts Academy, Long Beach Opera, Long Beach Symphony and the Long Beach Arts Council—all of which received two-year grants last year and continue to be generously funded by the LACAC.