ESCANABA — The Bonifas Arts Center has announced that it has been awarded an operations grant of $22,500 from the State of Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and National Endowment for the Arts.

According to a release from the center, this grant was awarded through the MCACA peer review process and was one of 331 applications to compete for the MCACA fiscal year 2021 funding.

“During this difficult year the support provided to the Bonifas by MCACA Operations Grant was invaluable,” Executive Director Irina Bruno explained, ” It allowed us to continue supporting our community of members and artists, bring hope to our community, and provide engagement in the arts.”

The Bonifas scored a 95.6%, meaning that they qualify for the highest level of operations grant funding for the next two years. Only 48 organizations this year scored 95% or higher.

Organizations receiving a MCACA grant award are required to match those funds with other public and private dollars. Local support includes memberships, donations, class registration fees, and local business sponsorships. The Bonifas has also receives significant volunteer support from many of our area residents. Without their support and help, the Bonifas would not be able provide the excellent programming that it does.

In rural areas like the central U.P., access to the arts is often extremely limited. With grants like the operations grant from MCACA and NEA, the Bonifas is able to promote arts and culture into the everyday lives of the people who call this area home. This not only strengthens the creativity and connectivity of the people who live here and also makes the U.P. a more desirable area for people to call home.

The MCACA peer review process allows for each grant application to be competitively considered by a panel of in-state and out-of-state arts and culture professionals. This ensures the taxpayers, who support this project through legislative appropriations, as well as visitors, will have access to the highest quality arts and cultural experiences.

A complete list of grant awards around the state is available by contacting MCACA at (517) 241-4011, or by visiting the MCACA website at www.michigan.gov/arts.

The Bonifas Arts Center would like to thank MCACA and the NEA for the grant, along with all of the businesses, members, and volunteers who help the Bonifas with its mission to enhance and inspire the cultural and creative lives of the people in the Central Upper Peninsula.