ODEUM RECEIVES UNPRECEDENTED $620K IN GRANT SUPPORT
Kevin Muoio, President of the Odeum Corporation, is thrilled to announce that The Greenwich Odeum has received two State Grant Awards, a $250,000 grant from the R.I. State Council on the Arts (RISCA) and a $28,896 grant from the R.I. Historical Preservation Commission (RIHPHC). Muoio was host to the State of Rhode Island’s announcement of the 2015 State Cultural Facilities and Preservation Grant Awards, held at the Greenwich Odeum on Monday, January 11, 2016.
On the heels of Monday’s awards from the State of Rhode Island, Muoio is pleased to officially announce that The Odeum has been presented with a generous $343,795 capital projects grant from The Champlin Foundations.
Built in 1926 to host vaudeville performances and later converted into a movie house, The Greenwich Odeum now serves as a performing arts venue fully owned and operated by the non-profit Odeum Corporation. Upcoming programming includes performances from Dar Williams, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Leon Russell and Jim Breuer.
With these three highly competitive grants in hand - The Champlin Foundation funding, the landmark State Cultural Facilities Grant and the State Historical Preservation Grant - The Odeum will be able to complete long awaited improvements to the building’s historic façade. The project funding will also support upgrading the venue’s facilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the addition of handicapped accessible restrooms and the installation of an assistive listening system.
“We are overwhelmed by this latest show of support from The State of Rhode Island, RISCA, RIHPC and The Champlin Foundations – an endorsement that is especially meaningful as we enter The Odeum’s 90th anniversary year,” says Odeum President Kevin Muoio, “We stand at a crucial turning point in the life of The Odeum and these improvements will further solidify the venue as a beloved community treasure and a flourishing cultural center for the arts.”
ABOUT THE GREENWICH ODEUM
Initially a built in 1926 for vaudeville acts, The Greenwich Odeum stage has withstood the shifting demands of popular entertainment over the past nine decades, but the road has not been an easy one. Initially serving audiences eager for live vaudeville and silent movies, the building was then converted to a popular movie cinema and as the years went by and the age of the multiplex movie theaters dawned the venue was again reborn as a performing arts center. The Greenwich Odeum is located at 59 Main St, East Greenwich, RI 02818. Visit www.odeum.org for more information.
ABOUT THE CHAMPLIN FOUNDATIONS
Since its first founding in 1932, The Champlain Foundations have awarded nearly $535 million in direct grants in support of over 900 non-profit organizations. Of that amount, $527 million has been distributed since the death of George S. Champlin in 1980. Virtually all communities in Rhode Island have benefited from at least one Champlin grant. Visit www.champlinfoundations.org for more information.
ABOUT RISCA
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts is a state agency supported by appropriations from the Rhode Island General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. RISCA provides grants, technical assistance and staff support to arts organizations and artists, schools, community centers, social service organizations and local governments to bring the arts into the lives of Rhode Islanders. Visit www.arts.ri.gov for more information.
ABOUT RIHPHC
The Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission is the state agency for historical preservation and heritage programs. The Commission operates a statewide historical preservation program that identifies and protects historic buildings, districts, structures, and archaeological sites. The Commission also develops and carries out programs to document and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Rhode Island's people. Visit www.preservation.ri.gov for more information
