ALPENA ­­– The Alpena Community College Foundation is pleased to announce that the first four awards have been made in the organization’s new Granum Grants program. As a result, a variety of enriching community events will take place at ACC’s Granum Theatre this year.

Projects receiving funding are:

≤ Community Film/Discussion Series: Social Impact ­­– ACC Instructor Shawn Sexton and the English, Arts, and Humanities Department were awarded $6,000 to present six timeless, artful, and heavy-hitting movies at Granum Theatre throughout September-November that are meant to raise awareness and spark conversation.

≤ The Way Down Wanderers — Thunder Bay Folk Society received a $10,040 award for their proposed music concert in August featuring Chicago band The Way Down Wanderers.

≤ Prelude to Summer Solstice — The Thunder Bay Arts Council was awarded $1,500 to bring jazz pianist Dr. Tom to the Granum Theatre as part of TBAC’s Prelude to Summer Solstice events in June.

≤ TBAC Concert and Workshop Series — The Thunder Bay Arts Council was given $2,000 for a music concert and workshop series with local schools. Collaboration with The Irving S. Gilmore Foundation of Kalamazoo will bring award-winning pianists to the area to work with local students in school-based workshops, followed by an evening performance with an accompanying instrumentalist at the Granum this September.

“It is exciting to see the Granums’ vision come to fruition nearly 25 years after they began planning,” said Brenda Herman, ACC Foundation executive director. “Their foresight and generosity in establishing a planned gift with the ACC Foundation is transformative and will benefit the entire community for generations to come. This is just the first phase of programming at the Granum Theatre, and thanks to the Granums’ generosity, vision, and trust in the philanthropic process, it will continue for years to come.”

Attendance for all grant-funded events at the Granum Theatre approved in this grant cycle will be free and open to the public. Approved grant applicants are responsible for organizing and marketing their own events with the resources provided from the Granum Grants funding.

About Granum Grants

ACC benefactors Robert and Jacqueline Granum envisioned a vibrant theater at ACC which bears their name. Their generous gift to the ACC Foundation in 1997 was given with the intention of filling the Granum Theatre with a variety of programming to educate and inspire students and the community at large throughout the year.

“This is the largest private bequest to the college for programming beyond construction or renovation of facilities at ACC,” noted Herman. “It is so refreshing to see the theatre which bears their name be further enhanced with arts, culture, and educational opportunities available to the students and community of ACC at large throughout the region because of their donation. I think the Granums would be happy to see that their vision lives on and is materializing into their dream becoming a reality.”

Available to all full-time ACC faculty and staff, local school districts, churches, and federal tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, Granum Grants provide opportunities for educational programming, lectures, cultural performances, performing arts, and community-based events within the Granum Theatre at Alpena Community College. Granum Grants provide full or partial funding for programming, along with the use of the Granum Theatre and surrounding complex, marketing resources, and technical audio/visual support for projects/programs/events.

While there are no minimum or maximum limits for individual grant requests, grant totals awarded are at the grant screening committee’s discretion for purposes of achieving a variety of programming throughout the year, and based on timeliness, quality, and feasibility of proposals in relationship to one another, as well as availability of funds annually and within each grant cycle, per deadlines. Internal ACC staff proposals are afforded priority consideration but are not guaranteed funding relative to other proposals.

How to Apply

Electronic applications for Granum Grants are available on the ACC Foundation’s website: https://discover.alpenacc.edu/foundation/grant_opportunities.php.

Standard deadlines for grant submissions are June 1 and December 31. Another round of applications is being solicited for the June 1 deadline, with approximately $16,000 available. Notification of awards will occur within one month of each deadline. Contact Stephanie Prince, Granum Grant coordinator, at princes@alpenacc.edu or 989-358-7392 for more details.

About the Granum Theatre

The Granum Theatre offers seating for up to 236 people. The theatre stage is roughly 750-1,000 square feet. The facility is equipped with a sound system with seven wired and five wireless microphones, including one leveler. There are two screens, one 12 feet and the other 16 feet, with an Epson projection system and stage lighting systems conducive to small theatre productions and concerts, lectures, film showings, and videoconferencing. ACC technical support for audio/visual services is required and must be incorporated into the cost of the project at the standard facilities fee rates for normal business hours. Saturday and Sunday events require additional hourly rates all of which are covered by approved funding of grant applications.

About the ACC Foundation

The mission of the Alpena Community College Foundation is to obtain financial support to enhance the ability of ACC to meet the lifelong education needs of the growing and changing communities it serves. The ACC Foundation offers various opportunities for one-time, ongoing, and planned gifts in the form of scholarships, academic program support, college operations, and non-academic student support.

For more information about giving opportunities, one-time donations, planned-giving and estate planning with the ACC Foundation, contact Herman at hermanb@alpenacc.edu or 989-358-7297.