NYSCA

Press Release:

The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO ART!) is excited to announce an exceptional opportunity for artists of all disciplines living and/or working in Genesee and Orleans Counties. In partnership with the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), GO ART! is accepting applications for the NYSCA/NYFA Artist as Entrepreneur Program. The program is free to participants.

This intensive 3.5-day professional development program is designed to empower artists across all disciplines—including visual, literary, performing arts, and more—with the essential tools needed to achieve sustainability and success in their creative endeavors. Whether you’re an emerging artist looking to build a strong foundation or an established professional seeking new strategies and networks, this program offers a dynamic platform to enhance your creative practice.

Program Highlights:

• Comprehensive Content: Participants will explore key topics such as strategic planning, marketing, fundraising, financial literacy, and art law. The curriculum includes materials from NYFA’s renowned textbook, The Profitable Artist.
• Work Sample Reviews: Receive personalized feedback from professionals in your field, offering valuable insights into the jury selection process and your artistic presentation.
• Peer Network: Join a community of like-minded peers across various disciplines, fostering connections that extend beyond the program.
• Access to Experts: Engage with NYFA’s expert staff and local arts industry leaders, including funders, curators, publishers, and artistic directors.
• Artist Action Plan: Develop a personalized blueprint for your practice or specific arts project, with opportunities to discuss and refine your plan within the peer group.
• Engagement with the Creative Community: The program structure includes presentations, panels, interactive workshops, and breakout sessions tailored to the needs of participants.

Eligibility and Application:

• Who Can Apply: Artists of all disciplines and career stages, including students, who are living and/or working in Genesee or Orleans Counties
• Application Deadline: Monday, September 23, 11:59 p.m. Applications must be submitted via Submittable.

Program Dates:

• Meet and Greet and Introductions: Thursday, November 7 from 5 - 8 p.m. 
• Intensive Sessions: Friday - Saturday, November 8 - 10 from 10a.m. - 4 p.m. daily

Don’t miss this unique chance to grow your artistic career with guidance from leading professionals in the field. Currently accepting applications. For more information and to apply visit https://www.nyfa.org/professional-development/entrepreneurial-intensives/ Please email questions to learning@nyfa.org with the subject line “Artist as Entrepreneur, GO ART!.” 

This program is made possible through New York State Council on the Arts, State & Local Partnerships with the support of the Governor's Office and the New York State Legislature.

Press Release:

Genesee and Orleans County nonprofit organizations and artists seeking funding for arts related programming, events, and public art are encouraged to apply to the 2025 Statewide Community Regrant Program (SCR), administered by Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO ART!) through a partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). GO ART! will be accepting applications September 15 - November 1.

GO ART! will be holding free informational SCR workshops in August and September at various locations throughout Genesee and Orleans counties. 

New applicants and previous applicants who have not attended an SCR workshop in 2023 or 2024 are required to attend, prior to submitting an application for the 2025 cycle. 

All applicants are encouraged to attend. Registration required. 

SCR Workshop Schedule:

• Monday, August 5, from 6 - 7 p.m. at GO ART!, 201 E Main St, Batavia
• Tuesday, August 6, from 6 - 7 p.m. at Hoag Library, 134 S Main St, Albion
• Monday, August 12, from 6 - 7 p.m. on Zoom
• Monday, August 26, from 6 - 7 p.m. at Hollwedel Memorial Library, 5 Woodrow Dr, Pavilion
• Tuesday, August 27, from 6 - 7 p.m. on Zoom
• Monday, September 9, from 6 - 7 p.m. at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, 620 West Ave Medina
• Tuesday, September 10, from 6 - 7 p.m. at Haxton Memorial Library, 3 N Pearl St Oakfield
• Monday, September 16, from 6 - 7 p.m. at Woodward Memorial Library, 7 Wolcott Street, Leroy
• Tuesday, September 17, from 6 - 7 p.m. on Zoom

For more information on the 2025 SCR program or to register for an upcoming workshop visit www.goart.org/grants

The executive director of GO ART! spoke plainly to Batavia Development Corporation board members this morning -- it needs funding ASAP in order to make badly needed improvements to its headquarters -- the historic Seymour Building at 201 E. Main St.

GO ARTS!'s Gregory Hallock asked board members to provide financial backing for a $50,000 loan, which would make the nonprofit eligible for funding from the NY Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Arts and Cultural Facilities Improvement Program Mid-Size Capital Project.

The NYSCA grant is available through the Empire State Development Regional Council Capital Fund (REDC) initiative. GO ART! must prove its ability to finance restoration projects in order to qualify for $150,000 in state funding. 

Hallock’s request comes after the New York Preservation League conducted an assessment of the GO ART! property and identified areas for improvement totaling $500,000. Hallock determined that at least $176,000 is required for immediate changes to the building. 

High-priority needs include the installation of both an air-conditioning unit and elevator. Hallock said he wants second-floor offices and meeting spaces to be available for rent within the next few months in order for the building to remain accessible and easy to use.

Hallock said time is of the essence. The REDC grant application is due July 27, but GO ART! will not know if it received that state funding until December. He's also waiting to hear back about grant applications to organizations in Buffalo and Rochester, but those responses will not arrive until August. 

“$500,000 is what [the improvement cost] is marked at now,” Hallock said. “They said this number is going to grow substantially. So, that’s why there is a priority on my list of things to get done to get this grant money. Also, the REDC doesn’t guarantee this money is going to be there from year to year.”

In response, Rachael Tabelski, BDC director of economic development, proposed that the BDC could back the $50,000 loan, so NYSCA could see GO ART! has access to funds for this capital project.

“We would be issuing a long-term, conditional offer to match these state funds,” Tabelski said.

Tabelski offered that BDC could set aside $50,000 of its Revolving Loan Fund for GO ART! and issue a conditional loan approval with an expiration date. Then, Hallock could return periodically with updates on the project scope and costs. 

According to this proposed plan, the board could keep extending its conditional loan approval until the grant is potentially awarded to GO ART! Hallock noted that GO ART! may never have to tap into the loan if it qualifies for the grant. 

“We get repaid with the funds down the road. One way or another, this will go through. So, this is a fairly safe loan,” said Pierluigi "Pier" Cipollone, BDC board president.

The board did not vote on the conditional loan today, but Hallock is slated to update board members on GO ART!’s progress toward grants and renovations. He will return at the board’s meeting at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 22 in Batavia City Centre.