Sample Media Release for MAC Grant Announcement

For Immediate Release Date Contact Information: Name Organization Phone Cell Email

MISSOURI ARTS COUNCIL AWARDS GRANT TO JASPER SPRINGS CHAMBER SERIES

NAME OF CITY, STATE (abbreviate) – The Missouri Arts Council recently allocated $XXX to the Jasper Springs Chamber Series for the Fiscal Year 2009. This year’s increase is one of the largest the organization has received. (This is the lead sentence for the rest of the press release. Its job is to pull the reader in to reading the rest of the release. It is important to cover the who, what, when, where and the how if necessary, however the lead paragraph shouldn’t be longer than 3-4 sentences.)

“These funds will go to support our tour through Missouri,” said Donna Hellelly, managing producer for the Jasper Springs Chamber Series. “We’re taking the show on the road, so to speak. In addition to our regular season here in Jasper Springs, we are planning six performances throughout the year with a special outdoor performance at the Violet Festival in April.” (The first quote should support the purpose of this press release and give an aspect of why it is important for the public to know. The quote should be from a person who is knowledgeable on the subject matter in the press release.)

Grants were awarded by the Council to support programs beginning July 1, 2008 in arts education, community arts, dance, electronic media, festivals, folk arts, literature, minority arts, music, theatre, and visual arts across Missouri. The Council’s grants and operating expenses are drawn from $10.8 million received from the Missouri General Assembly and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. (This is paragraph is the expansion of the lead and the quote. It should encompass additional relevant information about the topic.)

“This is the second year we’ve received funds from the Missouri Arts Council,” Hellelly said. “This grant will help defray some of the costs involved in touring.” (This second quote is not a necessity however if it helps drive a point home it should be used.)

Missouri arts professionals and community representatives serve on 10 Arts Council advisory panels to assist with the annual review process. The advisory panels review applications. Review criteria includes, artistic quality, community outreach and management ability. (This paragraph can be used to tie up loose ends.)

About the Missouri Arts Council The Missouri Arts Council is the second oldest, state-funded arts agency in the country, providing technical and financial assistance for art programs to communities, schools and nonprofit organizations. The Council was established in 1965 to encourage and stimulate the growth, development and appreciation of the arts in Missouri. It is a division of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. The Council’s board consists of 15 citizens from across the state, appointed by the Governor to set policy and programmatic direction for the Missouri Arts Council. Arts organizations interested in applying for grants are encouraged to call the Missouri Arts Council for information at (314) 340-6845. (This is the boiler plate and it is where you want to store all of the information for the organization. This paragraph should be a 4-5 sentence glance at the pertinent points of your organization.)