CAA Awards Grants To Walton County Teachers Through Art For All Program

The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) is pleased to announce that seventeen Mini Teacher grants were awarded during the 2017 – 2018 school year benefiting ten area schools and hundreds of young artists. The purpose of the Mini Teacher grant is to enhance the visual, literary and performing arts experience of all Walton County school-age children K-12 in public schools, private 501c (3) schools and home schools through funding for special enhancement activities established by a teacher.

“The CAA was founded on giving, and we are committed to making a deeper impact each year through the funding of arts education initiatives,” said CAA Executive Director Jennifer Steele.  “We encourage artists, teachers, schools, students and organizations to apply as often as possible. The application process is simple, and we are eager to support the efforts of those who are making our community a better place through the arts.”

Quarterly and annual awards are available. Applications can be found and completed online at www.CulturalArtsAlliance.com/get-funded. The next deadline for submissions is August 15, 2018.

Recent recipients include: Kristin Fliehman and Laurie Hudson from Freeport Elementary School; Andrea Schiller from Maude Saunders Magnet Program, Vivian Komando (Art) and Don Goodrum (Drama) from South Walton High School; Corinne Wilson and Susan Rockman from Paxton School; Corrie Sober (Music) from Bay Elementary School; Constance Rogers from Butler Elementary School; Jeri Jersey at South Walton Academy; Jeanna Meyer, Heather Hester, Sherry Ford, and Kristin Fliehman at Freeport Elementary School; Marla Sillivant at West DeFuniak Elementary School; and Faith Anderson at The Wise Center in DeFuniak Springs.

“With the materials purchased by the grant from the CAA, over 100 students were able to create unique ‘Day of the Dead’ skull tiles after learning the basics of working with clay, firing their tiles and finishing with acrylic paint,” said West DeFuniak Elementary Art Teacher Marla Sillivant. “I would like to extend a huge thanks for the learning opportunity that the grant provided.”

“Thank you so much for the grant for art supplies,” said Freeport Elementary School teacher Heather Hester. “The students loved all the crafts that were incorporated while learning each letter of the alphabet, and the parents loved the precious artwork and thanked us every day a new piece was brought home.”

The mission of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County is to advance the arts through leadership, advocacy, funding, programs and education. The vision of the CAA is to make Walton County a creative place in which to live, work and visit. Membership information, grant and scholarship applications, and more can be found at CulturalArtsAlliance.com.