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M. Nutt's Got Your Art Stimulus Right Here

By Randy LoBasso

Add Comment | Comments: 1 | Posted Apr. 1, 2010

Every time M. Nutt’s got us down, he always manages to bring us back.

The good mayor just handed out $500,000 in creative industry workforce grants to various city for and not-for-profit arts organizations. You just gotta love that stimulus cash. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving, until China stops lending us money. Then it will be the gift we owe a terrible, terrible interest rate on, which we won’t be able to pay, so we’ll be left with two choices: Going to war or turning the United States into a gigntic re-education camp. The latter of which, to be fair, might be worth it just to watch Justice Alito shovel shit and feed pigs in the name of dictatorial socialism.

Anywho, according to a Mayor’s Office press release, “awards ranged from $20,000 to $100,000 each” and are designed to create both temporary building jobs and permanent ones in the “creative economy.”

The following money has gone to the following places:

Connection Training Services – $60,000
2243 W. Allegheny Street

This North Philly nonprofit provides several services toward helping residents of impoverished city areas work toward self-sufficiency. Its programs include computer services, security office training, property maintenance and a prisoner re-entry initiative.

Crane Old School, LP – $100,000
1425 N. 2nd Street

Money here is part of $1.7 million to turn an old Kensington school into a multi-tenant residence and arts space, which will include the Pig Iron Theater School.

Octo Enterprises Incorporated – $100,000
2214-14 Alter Street

In 2000, two artists began converting an old, closed bakery into an art studio building, which is now a studio space in the middle of the Point Breeze section of Philly. The money will help renovate more studios on higher floors.

Olney Cultural Collaborative – $20,000
An initiative of the North 5th Revitalization Project, a program of the Korean
Community Development Services Center

The $20K here is going toward renovating the projects offices. The project itself provides arts-based classes to members of the Olney community. They include yoga, theater, fine arts, you name it.

Revolution Recovery – $40,000
7333 Milnor Street

This one’s a Northeast Philly art space at a recycling facility. The money is going toward workspace and office renovations.

Underground Arts at the Wolf Building – $50,000
340 N. 12th Street Associates, LP

This money is going toward the creation of a multi-disciplinary Arts Venue near the Wolf Building, that awesome loft between 12^th and 13^th on Callowhill.

Vox Populi – $30,000
319 N. 11th Street

Vox Populi is already a real cool gallery on North 11^th Street, close to the Wolf Building. This $30,000 is going toward the creation of a multi-disciplinary performance venue and the building of additional art studios.

2215 East Tioga Street Gallery & Studios - $100,000
2215 East Tioga Street

A sculpture garden in Kensington. Awesome.

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