City Officials Distribute Cultural Fund Grants To Local Arts Organizations
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia city officials distributed more than $2.5-million to local arts organizations on Wednesday.
Arts executives lined up and city officials handed them a check. The annual ritual is a bit of a throwback to the creation of the Cultural Fund, 25 years ago, to replace the patronage-rich "Class 500" funds that city council members used to give away at their own discretion.
The fund now uses a peer review process and Arden Theater's Mimi Meserve says it's become an important source of stable funding for arts groups like her group.
"In a time of changing corporate support and especially with the shift in foundation support in the city of Philadelphia," she says, "having the city government behind and supporting our arts organizations is really crucial."
The fund took a hit during the recession, but Mayor Jim Kenney says he's asked for nearly $3.5 million for the fund, next year, the highest appropriation since 2010.
