The Choral Arts Society of Chattanooga will present a concert paying tribute to the works of Handel, Haydn and Mendelssohn, and the Scottish Society of Chattanooga presents an evening of Scottish heritage and entertainment to celebrate the 250th birthday of poet Robert Burns in just two of the 19 projects awarded $23,001 in grant funds through Allied Arts and the Arts Build Communities program.

ABC is a grant program funded by the Tennessee General Assembly and administered by Allied Arts in cooperation with the Tennessee Arts Commission. ABC grants offer financial support for arts projects in all arts disciplines such as dance, music, opera, musical theater, theater, visual arts, design arts, crafts, photography, media arts, literature, and folk arts.

“These funds provide an opportunity for the traditional arts organizations and other non-profit organizations to collaborate in ways that they normally aren’t able to work together,” said Marilyn J. Harrison, vice president of Allied Arts. “The value of these grants is enormous to Chattanooga and Hamilton County. We’re reaching deep into the community and reaching underserved organizations through the ABC grants.

“We are extremely grateful to the Tennessee General Assembly for providing the funds that allow us to administer this invaluable program through the Tennessee Arts Commission. Since ABC awards are not restricted to arts organizations, this grant program allows Allied Arts to bring the arts to a larger segment of the community.”

The grant-winning projects are:

Chattanooga Downtown Partnership’s Free Outdoor Performances by Local Musicians – Free outdoor musical performances by local musicians in downtown Chattanooga’s public spaces, including the Rhythm & Noon Concert Series and the Nightfall Concert Series.

Arts & Education Council’s 2009 Conference on Southern Literature – A conference to bring lovers of reading together with long admired authors and newly emerging artists working in fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction, and critique.

Normal Park Museum Magnet School PTA’s Normal-Palooza Arts & Music Festival – A traditional street fair and regional music festival including local and regional artists.

Creative Discovery Museum’s Spooky Days – A language arts program designed for families and children promoting the art of storytelling by presenting local, regional and national tellers to perform child-friendly spooky stories throughout October.

Chattanooga Choral Society for the Preservation of African American Song’s 2009 Lee Morris Mackey Memorial Concert – An annual concert featuring the Tuskegee Golden Voices Choir, who will present an educational outreach activity to two local high schools, in addition to performing a concert for the general public.

Ballet Tennessee’s Community Classes with Master Teachers – Open community dance classes taught by master teachers, including Tennessee artists Sarah & Thomas Shoemaker and Ailey II Associate Artistic Director Troy Powell. The public may observe these classes at no charge.

Association for Visual Arts’ Muse Lecture Series 2009 – A lecture series geared toward artists and students, focusing on professional artists and critics who deal with contemporary issues and trends.

UTC Meacham Writer’s Workshops – A series of readings, workshops, individual conferences, and informal gatherings involving several local writers’ groups. Local writers and readers will discuss their work and interests with visiting writers from around the world.

Orange Grove Center’s Orange Grove Dancers: A Moving Experience – Local dance organizations will assist Orange Grove clients in preparing individual and group performance pieces to give Orange Grove and the Chattanooga communities an opportunity to experience dance as an important part of community life.

Chattanooga Girls Choir’s Choral Music Education Workshops – Five two-hour workshops over the course of the school year for 4th – 7th graders will reside or attend school in Chattanooga’s inner-city communities. After program completion, the girls may participate in at least one concert.

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera Youth Orchestra’s Philharmonic Commissioned Work by David W. Cook – An original orchestral work by David W. Cook to be performed by the CSOYO Philharmonic Orchestra during their spring concert held May 4, 2009 at the Tivoli Theatre.

Chattanooga State Technical Community College Foundation’s Outdoor Museum of Art Community Lecture Series – A new project featuring three outstanding visual arts authorities in free lectures in the College’s Humanities Auditorium.

Alexian Brothers Senior Neighbors’ “GranCamp” – A four-day camp where grandparents and grandkids will visit artists’ studios and be entertained by musical and acting performances. Classes in watercolor, ballroom dance, digital photography, pottery are included.

Destiny Theatre Company’s Black Nativity – Inspired by the poet Langston Hughes, Black Nativity celebrates the traditional Christmas story using a soulful point of view and distinct energy of the black urban church.

City of Chattanooga, Education, Arts & Culture’s “Brainerd on Display” – A traveling history/art project depicting the rich culture of Brainerd. A 30-minute history lecture will be followed by a quilting demonstration by senior adults with the help of a local artist.

Shaking Ray Levi Society’s Music for the Who-Fest Folk Art Festival – This project will assemble unique local, regional and national musicians for the annual Who-Fest Folk Art Festival, which concentrates on folk, outsider and visionary art.

Choral Arts Society of Chattanooga’s Music with the Masters – Choral Arts will pay tribute to the legacy of Handel, Haydn, and Mendelssohn with a concert featuring choral works from their oratorios and a pre-concert lecture by a local music historian on their contributions to the classical music repertoire.

Scottish Society of Chattanooga, Inc.’s Tribute to the Poetry of Robert Burns – An evening of Scottish heritage and entertainment to celebrate the 250th birthday of poet Robert Burns, including recitation of his poetry in dramatic form, bagpipe music, dance, and a musician who sings Scottish folk ballads.

Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences’ “Children Sing Chattanooga” – A mural of life size portraits of the children singing to be drawn and painted by 60 3rd graders from CSAS, with visual art classes preceding the project.

The ABC grant program is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Founded in 1969, Allied Arts is a non-profit united arts fund that has raised nearly $50 million of support to nurture arts and cultural organizations in the Chattanooga area. Allied Arts’ mission is to galvanize broad participation in and widespread support for the arts.