Archive for September, 2015

[Watseka, IL]— Sugar Creek Opera has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support it’s 14th Season of presenting live, world class, professional opera to the countryside of East Central Illinois. The NEA is the federal agency that supports and funds the arts to give all Americans the opportunity to experience creativity and participate in the arts. NEA programs and funding support thousands of activities in communities large and small across the country, including about 30,000 performances and 3,000 exhibitions annually.

NEA Chairman Jane Chu said, “I’m pleased to be able to share the news of this award to Sugar Creek Opera. In each community the arts have the power to create new avenues for economic health and physical vibrancy, and for people to feel a sense of pride in their locality. This grant demonstrates this power and affirms that the arts are part of our everyday lives.”

“This is stunning news”, said Helen Todd, Sugar Creek Opera’s Founder and General Director. “To be recognized in this way by the National Endowment of The Arts is an honor and it is a privilege to collaborate with the NEA. This award will help us to strengthen our next, Fourteenth Season, upcoming Summer 2016.”

To learn more about the National Endowment for the Arts, please visit the NEA website at arts.gov. Follow the conversation about this and other NEA‐funded projects on Twitter at @NEAarts.

Sugar Creek Opera is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. Founded fourteen years ago in Watseka, IL, Sugar Creek Opera presents live, professional performances of the great opera classics as well as new, American opera every summer. Sugar Creek Opera is based in Watseka, IL. For more information or to make a contribution, visit us online at www.sugarcreekopera.com or by mail at 323 West Mulberry Street, Watseka, IL 60970. Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Sugar Creek Opera.