By Brian Trompeter
ArtsFairfax officials announced Aug. 15 that they had awarded more than $590,000 in fiscal year 2025 operating-support grants to 58 local arts-and-culture groups, an increase of eight organizations compared to last year’s total.
The recipients represent many arts disciplines and are located in all nine Fairfax County magisterial districts and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church.
Grantees included 1st Stage, Acting For Young People Inc., Alchemy Ballet, Amadeus Concerts, American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras, Artisans United, BalletNova Center for Dance, Better Said Than Done, Brass Band of Northern Virginia, Capital Wind Symphony Inc., CAPPIES of the National Capital Area, Choralis Foundation, City of Fairfax Band Association Inc. and City of Fairfax Theatre Company.
Others receiving grants were Creative Cauldron, Daily Poetry Association, The Fairfax Ballet Company, Fairfax Jubil-Aires, Fall for the Book Inc., Falls Church Arts, Gin Dance Company, Greater Washington Chinese Dance, Iranian-American Community Center, Jazz4Justice, Little City Concerts, McLean Project for the Arts, Mosaic Harmony, Mount Vernon Community Children’s Theatre and Music for Life.
Further grantees were National Concert Band of America, New Dominion Chorale, NextStop Theatre Company, Northern Virginia Chorale, Novasian Chorus, Providence Players of Fairfax, Public Art Reston, Reston Chorale, Reston Community Orchestra, Reston Community Players, Shakespeare Opera Theatre, Springfield Art Guild, Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art, Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, Traveling Players Ensemble and Vienna Arts Society.
Rounding up the grantees were Vienna Choral Society, Vienna Community Band, Vienna-Falls Chorus, Vienna Jammers Percussion Ensemble, Vietnamese Literary and Artistic Club, Virginia Bronze Handbell Ringers of Northern Virginia, Virginia Chamber Orchestra, Virginia Winds Academy, Voce Chamber Singers, Washington West International Film Festival, We Rock Cancer, Woodbridge Flute Choir and Workhouse Arts Center.
While ArtsFairfax saw a 20-percent increase in total requested funds, the available funding for this grant category remained flat from fiscal 2024 to fiscal 2025.
“One of our goals at ArtsFairfax is to diversify our resources and increase our grants funding so that all the creative work in this community can be fully realized,” says Stuart Holt, the group’s president and CEO.
