ArtsFairfax’s $601,900 in new operating support grants exceeds last year’s support by $10,000 and will aid organizations in all nine county magisterial districts plus the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church.
The organization announced its fiscal year 2027 grant awards on Thursday (Aug. 13). A total of 65 local arts groups will receive funds, up from 56 a year ago. Four organizations were first-time recipients.
“Successful ArtsFairfax fundraising has enabled us to increase grants funding to local arts nonprofits. We are committed to raising funds that can be redistributed to arts organizations throughout the county, even while operating on an extremely lean budget,” ArtsFairfax President and CEO Stuart Holt said in a statement announcing the awards.
Awards were split between 31 organizations with budgets below $100,000 annually and 34 organizations with larger budgets.
While the grant funding increased, the arts agency could not provide all of the $1.4 million requested by local organizations — a $215,000 uptick from last year.
Operating grant recipients for fiscal year 2027 included:
- Braddock District: Acting for Young People; Better Said Than Done; Choy Wun Dance Troupe; Daily Poetry Association; Fall for the Book; Music for Life; Northern Virginia Chorale; StringTime; Virginia Ballet Company and School; Vocal Arts of Fairfax
- Dranesville District: Alchemy Ballet; Amadeus Concerts; Capital Wind Symphony; Conservatory Ballet Foundation; Good Beats; Great Falls Philharmonic; McLean Community Players; McLean Project for the Arts; McLean Symphony; New Dominion Chorale; NextStop Theatre Company; Shakespeare Opera Theatre; Vietnamese Literary and Artistic Club of the Washington Metro Area; We Rock Cancer
- Franconia District: Bronze Handbell Ringers of Northern Virginia
- Hunter Mill District: Choralis Foundation; Gin Dance Company; Public Art Reston; Reston Chorale; Reston Community Orchestra; Reston Community Players; Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art; Vienna Jammers Percussion Ensemble; Voce Chamber Singers
- Mason District: American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras; Artisans United; BalletNova Center for Dance; Community Art for Everyone; Fairfax Choral Society; Providence Players of Fairfax; Sopranessence
- Mount Vernon District: ArtSpireVA; Northern Virginia Community Orchestra
- Providence District: 1st Stage; CAPPIES of the National Capital Area; Iranian-American Community Center/Pars Place; Mosaic Harmony; Traveling Players Ensemble; Vienna Arts Society; Vienna Choral Society; Vienna Community Band; Vienna-Falls Chorus; Virginia Chamber Orchestra; Washington West International Film Festival
- Springfield District: Fairfax Jubil-Aires; National Concert Band of America; STARS Performing Arts Company; Virginia Winds Academy; Woodbridge Flute Choir
- Sully District: Fairfax Ballet Company
- City of Fairfax: City of Fairfax Band Association; City of Fairfax Theatre Company
- City of Falls Church: Creative Cauldron Stage; Little City Concerts; Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation
Support for organizations’ operations is one grant program sponsored by ArtsFairfax each year. Funding for a number of other grant programs, including project support grants intended for activities outside an organization’s usual scope, will be announced later in the year.
Total FY 2027 grant funding is expected to approach $820,000.
