Contact information: 413/775-1221
Web link:

Contact: Leo Hwang-Carlos
Phone: 413/775-1221
E-mail: hwang-carlos@gcc.mass.edu

Media contact: Liz Carroll
Marketing & Publications
413/775-1420 | carroll@gcc.mass.edu

Release date: March 23, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Entergy grant brings the arts at GCC to the community

A $4,568.00 grant to Greenfield Community College by Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee will help publicize the College's wide range of arts programming, especially to youth and low-income communities. "One of the things that's great about the humanities is that we have so many different events going on all the time with all of our performing arts programs,” says Leo Hwang-Carlos, Associate Dean of Humanities. "This grant gives us an opportunity to coordinate these programs in a way that we haven't been able to do before.” The funding will enable the College to create and distribute printed materials that encompass the full range of arts events going on at the college, and reach out to new audiences through visits to schools and organizations.

GCC students put on dance performances, music concerts, art shows and theater presentations. In addition to student performances, the college brings in guest musicians and authors of national renown. "These events provide access to fantastic opportunities that oftentimes people have to pay a lot of money to see,” says Hwang-Carlos, "and here you get to see them for free in an intimate environment.”

A goal of the grant, titled "Increasing Public Access to the Arts,” is to inspire young people with a vision of the arts in their future. "We want them to see the great work that happens here at GCC,” says Karen Goldman, Director of Development, "and maybe get inspired themselves to realize what college can be. Some young people might not realize that music or theater can be a major in college.”

GCC found a partner-in-arts in Entergy Nuclear, which operates Vermont Yankee power plant in Vernon. "We have a particular focus in arts and education,” says Laurence Smith, Acting Manager of Communications, "because that seems to be of particular interest to our employees. So we take a strong look at those endeavors as part of our giving program.”

Entergy's funding helps GCC to promote its arts events as a "creative arts cluster,” which is one step toward realizing the college's dream of one day opening a performing arts center. "The wonderful grant from Entergy is particularly significant,” says Allen Davis, Executive Director of the GCC Foundation, "because it is so hard to get philanthropic support for the arts.”

For people in the community, attending an arts event may lead to the realization that arts can play a role in their lives. "A person may see one of these performances and become an art, theater or dance major,” says Hwang-Carlos. "Or, they may come and decide to take an art class because they've never taken one before, and explore what it's like to work with materials and create something out of nothing and have it be solely their own. There are many rewards that come from the creative life, and if you can integrate the arts into whatever you do, you raise the possibilities for self-fulfillment.”

For information about the Entergy grant that GCC received, please call Karen Goldman at 413-775-1426; for information about arts programming at GCC, please call Leo Hwang-Carlos at 775-1221.