Commission on the Arts

By Reader Staff

Five Sandpoint organizations were among the recipients of grants from the Idaho Commission on the Arts, which announced its Fiscal Year 2024 awards on July 13, totaling $726,000 to 85 recipients in 26 communities throughout the state.

In this funding cycle, the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint received $7,622 under an Arts Education Grant, which supports teaching and learning opportunities for pre-K through grade 12, and provides funding for “activities that unite effective practices in education and the arts, and involve schools, artists and community organizations,” according to the commission.

them directly. Arts are good business and we thank Gov. Little and the Idaho Legislature for recognizing the value of Idaho’s artistic traditions.”

The Idaho Commission on the Arts is the official state agency for the support and development of the arts in Idaho. The commission promotes education, access and community investment in the arts, while its staff develops and administers the programs and services of the agency, assists grant applicants and provides technical assistance.

See the complete list of 2024 annual grants at the Arts Idaho website: arts.idaho.gov/press/2024-annual-grants.

By Reader Staff

The Bonner County Historical Society will put a range of items from its collection up for auction Saturday, July 22, in a process known as “deaccession,” meaning the official removal of listed items from a library, museum or art gallery’s holdings.

“Deaccessioning is a healthy part of collections management procedure that helps museums prioritize the objects that best tell our stories,” museum officials stated in a news release.

Objects in the Bonner County History Museum’s collection should have relevance to Bonner County history, have documented provenance and be in good condition. However, according to the museum, “an object may be removed from the collection through the deaccession process because it does not fit the scope of the collection or meet these criteria.”

The auction comes after two years of evaluation following the museum’s Collections Management Policies and Procedures manual. Staff members have curated a detailed auction catalog, which is available at bonnercountyhistory.org.

Bids will be taken on auction day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1807 Culvers Drive, Unit 1 in Sandpoint. All funds raised from the auction go into a restricted fund for collections care.

Items on the auction block range from antique furniture and tools to clothing, books and other historical ephemera, all priced to sell.

Founded in 1972, the Bonner County Historical Society and Museum is a private, nonprofit organization whose membership is open to all. The museum operates thanks to community support, membership dues, retail sales, donations and grants from private foundations.

Located at 611 S. Ella Ave., the museum is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Thursday until 7 p.m.) and on the first Saturday each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Admission is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors, $1 for kids aged 6-18 years, free members and kids under 6, and free on the first Saturday of the month.

For more information, call 208-2632344, follow Bonner County Historical Society and Museum on Facebook and Instagram, or visit bonnercountyhistory.org.

The Pend Oreille Arts Council received $4,769 in an Entry Track Grant, while Public Programs in the Arts Grants went to Creations for Sandpoint ($5,132); the Festival at Sandpoint ($11,123); the Music Conservatory ($4,523); and the Panida Theater ($5,098).

Entry Track grants and Public Programs in the Arts grants are intended to “provide stable, ongoing support for the arts programs delivered by Idaho’s professional arts organizations,” the commission stated. What’s more, funds going to those programs bolster the state “culturally and economically, while providing Idahoans with the invaluable experiences of performances, gallery exhibits, special events and workshops in all artistic disciplines.”

To win the grants, applicants were tasked with demonstrating “exceptional artistic merit, clearly defined management and the public value of their work.”

Organizations receiving grants will match their awards with locally generated funds.

In announcing the grants, Idaho Commission on the Arts Chair Steve Allred stated, “Arts organizations are catalysts for economic prosperity in Idaho cities and towns. Arts production in Idaho accounts for $2.1 billion and 2.3% of our state economy, and supports 20,257 jobs — 4,063 of