Five local nonprofit organizations that have received grant funding through the city will deliver quarterly updates at Thursday’s Arts & Culture Commission (ACC) meeting.

Arts Benicia, the Benicia State Parks Association, Benicia Old Town Theatre Group, Benicia Literary Arts and VOENA are five of the local groups that have received funding through the city, with grant oversight being done by the ACC. These five organizations will be delivering quarterly reports to inform commissioners about progress being made on the projects, programs and events being funded by the grant.

Arts Benicia will be highlighting the programs supported through the grant, including seven gallery exhibitions, its ongoing “Arts Benicia Presents” showcase at various venues around town, its children’s art program, adult education classes and development program. Arts Benicia will also discuss its methods of community outreach and involvement in the ACC’s public art initiative.

Benicia Literary Arts will be highlighting its efforts to cosponsor events held by the poet laureate program, Arts Benicia, Bookshop Benicia and The Rellik Tavern. In April, the organization hosted an event at The Rellik titled “California Dreamin’” in which 11 writers spoke about their experiences moving to California. BLA President Lois Requist estimates that 12 to 15 people listened to the presentation and applauded each speaker. Additionally, BLA cosponsored a talk by California Poet Laureate Dana Gioia at the Benicia Public Library. Requist wrote that BLA continues to partner with the Benicia First Tuesday Poetry Group by holding funds to be used for poetry scholarships, and BLA will begin holding monthly writer’s workshops at one of the First Street art galleries, beginning in September.

The Benicia State Parks Association will talk about its programs supported by grant funding, including its annual holiday workshop, Capitol Neighbor Speakers Program, butter churning presentation to elementary schoolers, annual Vintage Games and Ice Cream Social, and a professional coordinator to help with creating BSPA events and programs at Capitol State Historic Park. Another quarterly BSPA activity has been the repair of the “Uriela Modeled in Cologne” statue on the grounds of the Fischer-Hanlon House. The origins are unclear but research suggests the statue may have been present at the 1893 Columbian Expedition and purchased by Benicia’s Stumm Jewelry Store around 1916, according to staff at the Benicia Historical Museum, which had the statue displayed for an exhibit on the landmark jewelry store in 2014.

The Benicia Old Town Theatre Group will go over its spring production “Intimate Apparel,” which drew 659 attendees and turned a small profit for the organization.

Finally, the local choir group VOENA will discuss its partnership with the Benicia Unified School District, including programs at Mary Farmar and Robert Semple elementary schools, participation in the STEAM Wheel at all the elementary schools and a women’s choir course at Liberty High School. Additionally, the group has performed concerts in Santa Rosa, Napa, Yountville and other places since the start of 2017 and is preparing for a tour in Croatia for a world music festival in Split in the summer of 2018 as well as a performance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall in 2019.

In other business, the commission will discuss future public art fundraisers and Commissioner Terry Scott will recommend members for the public art initiative’s Art Selection Committee.

The ACC meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, July 13 in the Edna Clyne Room at the Benicia Public Library, located at 250 East L St.

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