Douglas Cultural Council Awards $9,155 in Grants to 20 Local Arts Programs

DOUGLAS — December 12, 2025 — Douglas Cultural Council awards $9,155 to 20 organizations as membership shortage threatens program's future. The council met December 12 to distribute its full FY2026 grant budget — an $8,400 state allocation combined with an $853.46 FY2025 carry-forward — against 34 applications totaling $29,502, funding fewer than two-thirds of applicants. Highlights include a $1,200 award to Douglas High School for a Spanish Music and Dance Workshop, the first such grant to the high school in recent council memory; $1,600 to the Douglas Adult Social Center, which logged nearly 8,000 visits in 2025; $1,000 to the Douglas America 250 Celebration; and $500 to the Douglas Sensory-Friendly Events Picnic at the Park. The Blackstone Valley Art Association was denied for the third consecutive year after failing to execute a 2023 grant. Rakesh was unanimously elected council secretary. Members issued an urgent call for new volunteers, warning that the council's active membership is near the five-member minimum required by the state to maintain registration — and the annual funding that comes with it.