More than $111,000 has been distributed through the Mercer County-based Looser-Flake Charitable Foundation and it is already at work promoting creative arts throughout this eastern Illinois Quad Cities county.
In Aledo, for example, those funds already have supported a student art gala, according to a news release from the Quad Cities Community Foundation, which administers the foundation established by Dorothy Looser-Flake and Roberta Looser. The sisters were born and raised on a family farm near New Boston, Illinois. They cared so much about their community they left a portion of their estate to serve charitable causes in Mercer County.
In all, this year’s Looser-Flake Creative Arts Grants divided $111,700 between 11 arts-focused projects in Mercer County, through a collaborative process facilitated by Mercer County Better Together.
“The entire grant process was energizing,” added Lindsey Dunn, executive director of Aledo Main Street, a nonprofit working to foster a center of activity in the community by enhancing downtown vibrancy, preserving historical charm, and helping businesses thrive through partnerships and programming in Aledo.
“By making the grant effort collaborative, we had an opportunity to learn with other organizations and even weave some of our projects together. The result is a range of art initiatives that will benefit communities across the county,” she said.
The impact of these creative arts grants already is apparent in Aledo.
“It’s been incredibly exciting. This event showed the town what our young artists are capable of, and what art can bring to this community,” Mayah Balmer, Mercer County Art Collective organizer, said in the news release.
“We did an installation in the park to create some buzz for the (art) gala,” Ms. Balmer said.
“The grant has allowed us to bring this event to life, promote it, and we have an amazing team that’s already thinking about how to build from this,” Ms. Dunn added.
The Looser-Flake Grant also will be used to fund student performance and music education, upgrade AV equipment, bring musicians to perform in the county, support film projects, and create new performance spaces.
Keithsburg will host one of those spaces through a $30,000 Looser-Flake grant to build a Keithsburg Landing riverfront performance stage
“We have a vision for our downtown area,” said Keithsburg City Clerk Kayla Hillman. “It involves music, art, and other events that bring communities together around the riverfront. This stage — The Keithsburg Landing — is a big part of that vision.”
In addition to providing a performance stage, The Landing also will be available for weddings and other special occasions. “Art and music are vital for any community,” Ms. Hillman said. “This new venue is going to bring people to Keithsburg and encourage more community involvement from area businesses and vendors. We’re excited to get the project started!”
Here is the full list of grant recipients:
- Mercer County Community Band – $2,000 to upgrade performance music.
- Quad City Symphony Orchestra – $3,000 to bring education programs to Mercer County.
- Mercer County School District 404 – $4,500 to upgrade streaming equipment.
- Aledo Rhubarb Festival – $5,000 to book local entertainment.
- Aledo Main Street, Inc. – $6,700 to hold Mercer County art collective, art gala.
- Mercer County School District 404 – $7,136 to add pitched instruments to K-5 music.
- Aledo Central Park Bandshell – $10,000 to update light and sound systems.
- Mercer County School District 404 – $10,000 to add 3-D art program to high school curriculum.
- Golden Eagle Music Boosters – $13,364 to upgrade marching band uniforms.
- Gertrude Movie LLC – $20,000 to produce a film about an Aledo artist.
- City of Keithsburg – $30,000 to build a riverfront performance stage.
The Community Foundation also applauded the impact these projects and the Looser-Flake Foundation funding will have on creating a bright future for creative arts in the region.
“All of these grantees are going to make a long-lasting impact on Mercer County,” said Kelly Thompson, vice president of grantmaking and community initiatives at the QC community foundation.
“By investing in the arts, we’re investing in children, supporting tourism, and building culture in these communities. We’re excited to see how these programs continue to develop in the years to come.”
