Duke Energy sets the stage with over $500,000 in grants to support the North Carolina arts community

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A dozen cultural and arts nonprofit organizations in North Carolina are receiving $524,500 in grants from the Duke Energy Foundation to support arts appreciation and educational programs that foster community vitality.

"Arts and cultural programs unite the diverse communities we're fortunate to serve," said David Fountain, Duke Energy's North Carolina president. "Encouraging an appreciation for the arts and culture is a passion of Duke Energy, and we're proud of our partners who are doing just that through various initiatives across the state."

The grants, from the Duke Energy Foundation, will help enhance arts, music, cultural and professional development programs, allowing the organizations to continue strengthening and expanding their work within our communities. Piedmont Natural Gas, whose grant-making process is now part of the Duke Energy Foundation, contributed to several of the grants to help support the vibrancy of North Carolina.

"Duke Energy has long understood the value of community involvement in the arts," said Eleanor Oakley, president and CEO of the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County. "Their support has allowed us to continue our large Artists in the Schools program in Wake County schools, as well as institute a Wheels on the Bus fund for our low-income schools, ensuring that their students may travel to an arts and cultural facility at least once a year. We are proud to work with the Foundation on these efforts."

The following organizations are receiving grants to strengthen arts and cultural initiatives in North Carolina.

Blumenthal Performing Arts Center – $15,000 for the Duke Energy Ticket Scholarship Fund, which provides tickets to underserved youth and families in partnership with other Charlotte-area nonprofit organizations.

Carolina Ballet – $150,000 for the 2017-2018 season and Arts Access Initiative, which allows the ballet company to offer affordable performances and continue providing complimentary and discounted tickets to people who wouldn't otherwise be able to attend performances.

Central Park NC – $10,000 to expand creative and entrepreneurial arts and culture programming to reach additional students and lifelong learners.

Durham Arts Council – $15,000 for the Creating Community through the Arts initiative, which supports classes, artist residencies and exhibits. The program serves more than 900,000 participants, provides more than 1,000 jobs and has a collective economic impact exceeding $125 million annually.

Mint Museum – $14,000 to support cultural outreach programming in Charlotte. Bilingual Stories & Music on Wheels and Masters Art Classes on Wheels offer unique early childhood learning opportunities at no or low cost, with enhanced accessibility, addressing transportation and/or financial barriers.  

North Carolina Museum of History Foundation – $20,000 to support field trips to the museum for public school students in the central and eastern parts of the state.

North Carolina Opera – $50,000 to support the upcoming season, Opera in the Schools programs and adult engagement projects.

North Carolina Symphony – $150,000 for the Statewide Music Education Sustainer, which provides music education to more than 60,000 schoolchildren annually in 31 counties, many of which are rural and under-resourced areas with limited access to the arts.

North Carolina Theatre – $30,000 for Program Excellence and project support featuring the mainstage show A Night with Janis Joplin. The program impacts more than 5,000 young people throughout Durham, Orange and Wake counties with a combination of training, performances and education/outreach activities.

United Arts Council of Greater Greensboro – $27,000 for the 2017 Community Arts Education and Access Program to improve access to the arts, increase arts education initiatives and fuel economic development in local communities. In addition, grants will be used for artistic programming to present the National Folk Festival, which attracts a diverse audience to the Greensboro area.

United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County – $18,500 for the Artists in Schools Program, which places professional teaching artists in Wake County schools for curriculum-based performances, residencies and workshops. With a goal to expose as many K-12 students as possible to the arts, this project involves 142 schools, reaching 152,000 students annually.

Winston-Salem Arts Council – $25,000 to help regional artists with projects that support professional growth and ensure the arts serve a diverse and wide-reaching population.

Duke Energy Foundation
The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to address the needs of the communities where its customers live and work. The Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in charitable gifts. The Foundation's education focus spans kindergarten to career, particularly science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), early childhood literacy and workforce development. It also supports the environment and community impact initiatives, including arts and culture.

Duke Energy employees and retirees actively contribute to their communities as volunteers and leaders at a wide variety of nonprofit organizations. Duke Energy is committed to building on its legacy of community service. For more information, visit duke-energy.com/foundation.

Duke Energy is a Fortune 125 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. 

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