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Gig Harbor Arts Commission awards grants to local groups

Ten local organizations have been awarded Creative Endeavor Grants by the Gig Harbor Arts Commission for projects ranging from band concerts to craft workshops to poetry readings.

This year’s awards totaled $30,000 and will be approved by the City Council on March 28.

Earning the grants were:

• Peninsula Hands on Art, a program that creates art-making experiences for elementary school students throughout the Peninsula School District, was awarded $4,000 to support three programs: Gargoyles – a History of Stone Waterspouts; Monochromatic Magic — a lesson about using a single color to create a painting; and Swimming Salmon, which teaches students about the historic importance of salmon in Pacific Northwest cultures and includes a lesson in drawing and painting salmon using acrylic paint.

Peninsula School District elementary school students will learn the importance of salmon in Northwest cultures and how to draw and paint their own fish after receiving a Creative Endeavor Grant from the Gig Harbor Arts Commission.

• Harbor WildWatch was awarded $1,600 to create a self-guided walking tour brochure. The brochure will include images and descriptions of the local underwater world and a map of interpretative signage that highlights important natural features along the waterfront.
• The Gig Harbor High School Band Boosters will receive $2,800 to help fund sectional instructors for the band’s flute, clarinet, bassoon and horn players. The grant also covers some of the band’s expenses to perform in the Maritime Gig Parade in June.
• The Greater Gig Harbor Literary Society was awarded $2,500 to produce a free, one-day poetry festival featuring readings by well-known Northwest poets and a poetry-writing workshop. The festival will take place in the fall and will be open to the public.
• The Harbor History Museum will receive $1,600 to support their Collections Corner video projects.
• Gig Harbor artist Patsy Surh O’Connell was awarded $1, 500 to present two free, hands-on workshops about Korean hanji paper. Participants in the first session learn to make mulberry paper and will sculpt a small object from the paper. The second workshop will teach traditional Korean MinWha painting on hanji paper.
• Teachers at three local elementary schools will receive $6,750 to participate in an Arts Impact: Artist Mentor program to help them incorporate art into a variety of other subjects.
• Peninsula Art League was awarded $3,000 to promote their Open Juried Show that takes place this fall. The show features original artworks by artists from throughout the U.S. and Canada.
• Spectrum Choral Academy will receive $7,290 for their Harbor Sings! music and art day camp. The camp is one of many local events that is returning after a two-year COVID-induced absence.
• The Gig Harbor branch of Tacoma Community College was awarded $3,000 to support the Write in the Harbor Youth Symposium that will provide a free opportunity for Fresh Start students to learn about the craft of writing and its importance in daily and professional life.

The Creative Endeavor Grant program began in 2019 with the goal of supporting projects that provide artistic, cultural and creative experiences for the Gig Harbor community. The events must be open and accessible to everyone, regardless of ability to pay. The first year, $13,830 was awarded to support six projects. The budget has increased each year, based on approval by the city council. This year the Arts Commission received applications totaling $48,350 and awarded $30,000 in grants.

The Gig Harbor High School band will get a boost from a Creative Endeavors grant. Shown here are the seniors who play in the band. Courtesy Gig Harbor High School