Grants & Scholarships

The Newtown Arts Festival was established in 2011 with two goals in mind.

To support and promote local arts and the community in a town-wide celebration.

To raise money for arts related college scholarships andto provide grants for local artists and arts organizations.

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Currently in our eleventh year, four scholarships have been awarded to Newtown residents who are graduating high school

2023 SCHOLARSHIPS WINNERS

Caroline Kordik Northeastern University Architecture
El Glassman Emerson College Media Arts Production
Giselle Martinez Ithaca College Documentary Film and Production Studies
Malcolm Zimmerman SUNY New Paltz Studio Art & World History
Caroline Kordik
Northeastern University
Architecture

"For my future career, I want to be a part of the next generation  of architects that work in harmony with the earth and build for a better future."

El Glassman
Emerson College
Media Arts Production
"I plan to keep writing for as long as I can and have now combined it with my passion for digital media to pursue a career in screenwriting."
Giselle Martinez
Ithaca College
Documentary Film and Production Studies
"I want to be able to do that. To have the creative mindset to show the audience  what I'm thinking and feeling through the lens of a camera."
Malcolm Zimmerman
SUNY New Paltz
Studio Art & World History
"What I particularly love about being an artist is how I can illustrate and create visual work to support my other academic studies and research and better communicate with my audience."

Scholarship requirements:

 

1. Must be a graduating senior and Newtown resident

2. Plan to attend a two or four year college

3. Plan to major in an arts related field Grant requirements for local individuals and Newtown based groups, clubs, and arts organizations :

4. Bring art to the community (e.g., Friends of Seniors, Town Players)

2023 GRANTS WINNERS

Jane Sharpe was awarded a grant
Paula Brinkman, pictured, was awarded a grant
Meredith Christos Everwonder Children's Museum Signage Grant
Jane Sharpe was awarded a grant to place a bronze plaque on the artwork at the traffic island at Glove and Queen Street identifying Newtown native Ethan Currier as the sculptor.  She and Peggy Townsend worked on the project.
Paula Brinkman, pictured, was awarded a grant to replace the coroplast signs at the four Doors of Fairfield Hills  with 4 new metal signs. The grant includes materials needed  for upkeep. Paula was the driving force to decorate the doors in 2020. (Check our "other projects" for more info on the doors.)
Everwonder Children's Museum was awarded a grant to create uniform signage at its new home at 11 Mill Hill Road. Grant was written by Meredith Christos, museum director, pictured.

Our grants have helped accomplish many things – a new hanging system for the Flagpole Photographers and others to show their work at the Municipal Center Art Gallery, new stage flooring for the Town Players Little Theatre, and two artisan showcases, one at the Newtown Community Center and the other at the Municipal Center Art Gallery.

Public art projects include:

-Virginia Zimmerman’s train mural on the Church Hill Road overpass

-The Dog Park mural designed and painted by Lindsay Fuori

-Paula Brinkman’s two-year beautification project at Fairfield Hills that resulted in The Doors at Fairfield Hills and several painted windows on boarded up buildings.

Three other artists collaborated on the Doors project Dave Brooker, Julia Sikes Provey, and Kristine Humber. Julia Sikes Provey’s will be painting an interactive mural at this year’s festival that will be hung at the Community Center for everyone to enjoy.

 

Grant Requirements:

1. Have a plan to share their project with the community

2. Can complete their project within one year from the date they receive the award. From the Newtown Arts Festival to our scholarships and grants, the intent has been to create greater awareness and accessibility to the arts in our community.