Norwich ―The first $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act dollars dedicated to arts is being spread among familiar and new recipients to fund events, programs, public art, including art for the center of the downtown roundabout.

The City Council awarded $500,000 to the Cultural Coalition in September 2021 in the first round of the city’s $28.4 million ARPA grant. The coalition developed three grant rounds, providing small grants to artists, businesses or nonprofits for programs and projects and larger “impact” grants to multiple groups that formed partnerships for projects.

Coalition Executive Director Wendy Bury on Monday presented the City Council with a 58-page report detailing grants awarded to date and plans for the remaining funds.

The report did not address the second $500,000 grant to the coalition, approved by the City Council in January. But Bury announced Monday the coalition will return $250,000 of that grant to the city to fund other needs.

In the first round, $151,000 has been spent so far, including $122,159 on grants, with another $241,000 in pending grants. The coalition is receiving a $25,000 administrative fee, and $75,000 was budgeted for a Norwich arts coordinator, who did “a boatload of outreach” to arts entities, Bury said.

The coalition awarded 23 small arts and culture grants of up to $10,000, and seven groups received grants of up to $25,000 for collaborative programs.

The first round included $25,000 to the Norwich Community Development Corp. to provide art enhancement mini grants to recipients of the economic development Norwich Revitalization Program grants.

The arts and culture grants included awards to arts businesses, such as the $10,000 to help expand Small Potatoes craft store, and $7,500 to Norwich Camera Co. for an expansion and equipment purchase. The coalition also awarded $5,000 each to the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church for its Grecian Food Festival and to the Providence Polish National Catholic Church for its Taste of Poland festival.

The seven larger impact grants included $20,000 for beautification of the Greeneville playground and Central Avenue; $25,000 to Chestnut Street Theater and the Hispanic Alliance to create a bilingual theater program; $25,000 to support the Rose Arts Festival and $10,000 for the Downtown after Dark and First Fridays arts and music programs.

The remaining $89,432 includes $50,000 for proposed public art at the traffic roundabout at Franklin and Main streets. A request for concepts was advertised last week and proposals are due June 12. The newly created Norwich Public Art Committee, with 18 members from city government, businesses and artists, will review and rank the proposals.

The coalition has budgeted $25,000 for the winning art proposal, $1,000 each for those who submit the three finalist concepts to flush out their proposals and $7,000 for the Norwich Public Art Committee for unanticipated expenses for the project. The remaining $15,000 would be for maintenance of the roundabout artwork and other public art.

The final $27,861 would pay for a two-year Norwich arts and cultural coordinator.

c.bessette@theday.com