Grant awarded to Clinton County Arts Council By: Jenny McCampbell [Click here to print article] The Clinton County Arts Council (CCAC) has been awarded a grant of $10,600 from the State of Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA). The grant was awarded through the MCACA Peer Review Process and was one of nearly 300 applications to compete for MCACA fiscal year 2008 funding. Organizations receiving a MCACA grant award are required to match those funds with other public and private dollars. Local support of the project includes donations from area businesses, service clubs and individuals. Additional community support is given through volunteers who serve as docents at the CCAC Gallery (now located at 112 N. Clinton Avenue in St. Johns); organize and oversee the Concert in the Park series each summer; work to preserve and restore the 3 historic rail cars owned by CCAC as part of the developing Clinton Northern Railway Museum; and help with many fund-raising activities. The CCAC project for 2008 is called Weaving the Arts and History Through Clinton County. It includes displaying the works of local artists at the CCAC Gallery and on the Internet; printing and mailing the quarterly CCAC newsletter; creating placemats for use in area restaurants with CCAC information; developing brochures for tourist information centers; working with the Clinton County Historical Society to develop walking/biking/driving tours of historic architecture in Clinton County; and structural stabilization of the historic rail cars. This is being done to support area artists, familiarize people with area history, and attract visitors to the county. The MCACA Peer Review process allows for each grant application to be competitively considered by a panel of in-state and out-of-state arts and culture professionals. This ensures the taxpayers, who support this project through legislative appropriations, and all other visitors or residents in Michigan will have access to the highest quality arts and cultural experiences. MCACA has been appropriated $7.7 million to award to arts and cultural organizations across Michigan for fiscal year 2008. The Clinton County Arts Council competed in the Local Arts Agencies Services category. A complete list of grant awards around the state is available by contacting MCACA at 517.241.4011 or by visiting the MCACA website at www.michigan.gov/arts.