West Virginia: Fast-Track Funding for Natural Disaster Recovery

As too many artists, arts patrons and arts leaders around the country know, natural disasters and severe weather can decimate cultural and community resources. The West Virginia Commission on the Arts (WVCA) recognizes that these threats are often unforeseen and is prepared to help arts organizations rebound in short order from devastating events like floods and wildfires. Through its Fast Track ADA and Emergency Grant Program, WVCA provides within six weeks between $2,000 and $10,000 to arts groups for renovation and construction projects, helping facilities recover from disaster and/or comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Since the program began in 2003, WVCA has awarded more than $187,000 in support of 25 different projects. Responding to the tragic flooding in West Virginia this past June, WVCA used the program to help restore the exhibition facilities of the Alderson Artisans Gallery in Greenbrier County and to enable the Greenbrier Valley Theatre in Lewisburg to pump out five feet of water from its costume and props shop, remove the residual mold, and get back to work supporting creativity in the community. To learn more, contact WVCA Cultural Facilities Grant & Accessibility Coordinator Debbie Haught.