2011 Community Grants Recipients

The American Conservation Film Festival

Received funding to support its 9th season. This season ACFF will present 50 new films which explore the perspective of conservation in today’s world. In addition to films, the festival will provide a variety of lectures, panel discussions and exhibits and activities for children and families. The festival will take place in venues at the National Conservation Training Center, Shepherd University, and the Opera House in Shepherdstown, WV. Collaborators are US Fish and Wildlife Service's National Conservation Center and Shepherd University. Partners are Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment, the WV Humanities Council and the WV Film Office. The festival runs Nov 3-6, 2011.

The CraftWorks at Cool Spring

Received funding to assist a 6 week summer arts camp operated in two stages, the first being the arts leadership program, Avant Guardians, for high-school aged students interested in pursuing future studies or careers in the arts. They will receive training from professional teaching artists to prepare for Camp Cool Spring where they will serve as mentors to the younger children in the arts camp. The second stage is Camp Cool Spring, 5-weeks of fun-filled, educational, nature-inspired art camps for children between the ages of 6 and 14. Craftworks at Cool Spring is an 81-acre nature preserve located on land once owned by George Washington. Today its goal is to connect people to the arts, crafts, and sustainable living ideas valuing the environment and their communities. It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and science education organization. This program starts June 20, 2011.

The Harpers Ferry Historic Town Foundation

Received funding to research, design, and print a brochure, “Harpers Ferry and Bolivar Black Heritage Trail, Harpers Ferry: Destroyed by War, Rebuilt by Educating Freedmen.” The brochure will cover the upper town circa 1900 and its development around Storer College after the lower town was destroyed by the war. The Harpers Ferry Historic Town Foundation is a registered non-profit 501(c)3. Its mission is to promote, preserve, and protect the Historic Town of Harpers Ferry. Its membership is 50 members in a town of 300 people. This project has a number of partners assisting in its success.

The Mountain Heritage Arts and Crafts Festival

Received a grant for a pilot program to introduce young children to Appalachian arts and crafts using professional artists and musicians from Jefferson County. The program will be offered in June 2011 to coincide with the 40th Mountain Heritage Arts and Crafts Festival at the Sam Michaels' Park on Job Corps Road. The festival, which is presented in June and September, was started in the spring of 1972 to support the cultural traditions of Appalachia in music, arts and crafts.

The 6th Dimension Handbell Ensemble

Received support for a performance and educational program to the entire population of the Harpers Ferry Middle School, plus a free evening concert for parents at the school auditorium in the fall of 2011. The performers will demonstrate the use and care of English handbells as a musical instrument during the performances. Performance meets stated educational curriculum guidelines of the public schools.

James T. Surkamp

Received a grant to assist with the creation of a website that will be the source of not less than 200 videos telling factual stories about the Civil War in Jefferson County. The videos will be introduced and publicized regularly at no cost between 2011 and 2015, corresponding to the Civil War Sesquicentennial. The videos will be available on a web site entitled: "Tales from a Debatable Land: Jefferson County, WV in the Civil War 1858-1866." A number of noted local history advisers are associated with this project.

The Shepherdstown Men’s Club

Received funding to support the Club’s arts and humanities activities in the greater Shepherdstown area. The Club’s plans include conducting art exhibits, arts and craft shows, workshops and lectures related to all aspects of art, history and local culture. They will also co-sponsor an Earth Day Celebration this year at Morgan’s Grove Park and include an “art in the park” feature to get more artists involved. Founded in 1945, the Shepherdstown Men’s Club is a non-profit organization of men and women dedicated to community service.