The Fairgame group awards grants to small arts organizations, raising alarm about the adverse effects of cuts to federal arts funding
Albany, NY (May 22) – The Upstate Theatre Coalition for a Fairgame, a non-profit organization representing 12 performing arts centers in the Capital Region, Catskills, and Southern Tier of New York State, has announced the 2025 recipients of the Fairgame Arts Grants. In the fifth year of distributing grants, 51 arts organizations have been awarded a combined total of $167,700 to fund arts programs throughout the communities they serve.
“Fairgame was created to help arts organizations thrive in New York State. Our partnership with the New York State Gaming Commission and the state-licensed casinos has not only protected performing arts centers in our state, but allowed smaller arts groups to grow and thrive,” said John Parkhurst, Chief Operating Officer of the Rochester Broadway Theatre League and chairman of the Fairgame group.
“There is no denying the arts are under attack in our country. We’ve seen millions of dollars in previously committed arts funding rescinded, pulling the rug out from under already very tight budgets. While we can’t make up the entire difference, the Upstate Theatre Coalition for a Fairgame is honored to provide the funding we can to allow these vitally important arts programs to continue,” Parkhurst added.
This year, the Fairgame group has awarded $54,900 to the Capital Region, $75,000 to the Catskill Region, and $37,800 to the Southern Tier. Since the inception of the grant program in 2019, more than $500,000 in grants ranging from $1,000-5,000 have been issued by the organization.
The Upstate Theatre Coalition for a Fairgame was created in partnership with casinos in the three gaming regions: Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady, Resorts World Catskills, del Lago Resort & Casino, and Tioga Downs Casino Resort. Coalition members are: Bardavon Presents (Poughkeepsie), Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (Bethel), Clemens Center (Elmira), Forum Theatre (Binghamton), Palace Performing Arts Center (Albany), Proctors (Schenectady), Rochester Broadway Theatre League (Rochester), Saratoga Performing Arts Center (Saratoga), Saratoga Springs City Center (Saratoga), State Theatre of Ithaca (Ithaca), Times Union Center (Albany), and Troy Savings Bank Music Hall (Troy).
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Organizations Receiving Funding:
171 Cedar Arts Center
440 State St. Inc.
A Magical Journey Thru Stages
Albany Barn Inc
Albany Center Galleries, Inc
Albany Pro Musica, Inc.
AMR Artists Inc.
Athens Cultural Center
Binghamton Philharmonic, Inc.
Binghamton Theater Organ Society
Catskill Mountain Shakespeare
Catskills Folk Connection Inc
Center for the Arts at Ithaca, Inc. dba Hangar Theatre
Civic Ensemble, Inc.
Community Arts Partnership
Community Unity Music Education Program (CUMEP)
Corning-Elmira Musical Arts, Inc., dba Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes
Delaware Valley Arts Alliance
Elmira Little Theatre, Inc.
Endicott Performing Arts Center
Festival Celebration Choir
Franklin Stage Company
Gardiner Library
Grupo Cultural Latinos En Rochester, Inc
Hamilton Hill “Drop in” Arts & Crafts Association Inc.
Jefferson Historical Society
Joseph Avenue Arts and Culture Alliance
Kitchen Theatre Company
Kingston Midtown Arts District
Media Alliance
Music Haven
Musicians of Ma’alwyck
Nego Gato Inc
New York Folklore Society
Our Lodge Foundation, Inc.
PS21: Center for Contemporary Performance
Sand Lake Center for the Arts – Circle Theatre Players
Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra
Shadowland Artists Inc. dba Shadowland Stages
Spencertown Academy Arts Center (SAAC)
The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes
The Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck
The Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company, Inc.
The Local Saugerties
The Next Festival of Emerging Artist
The Roxbury Arts Group, Inc.
Tri-Cities Opera
Vanaver Caravan (Legal Name: Coming Together Festival of Dance & Music, Inc.)
Walking on Water Productions (WoW)
Will Kempe’s Players (fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas)
YET, Inc.