As it celebrates its 10th year of existence, the Starved Rock Country Community Foundation can also hail a decade of devotion to the arts. We continue to create opportunities for artists and arts organizations across LaSalle, Bureau and Putnam counties. Our component fund, the Arts of Starved Rock Country Fund, is the primary driver of this.
The Fund, supported in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, awards financial support twice a year to local theatre groups, symphony orchestras, museums, libraries and schools is currently administered by René Parks Wendinger, and has awarded over $96,000 since its founding in 2018.
A sampling of projects supported by the Arts of Starved Rock Country Fund have included a program to expose children to orchestral music, support for local productions of “Chicago,” “Newsies,” “Falsettos” and “Something Rotten,” among others, financial assistance for Poco a Poco’s weeklong summer music festival in Streator, and Princeton’s Summer Concert Series featuring Brushville and others in 2023.
Through the SRCCF, the Arts of Starved Rock Country Fund organized the grassroots, three-day art, music and film “Festival of the Arts” in downtown Ottawa featuring a juried art show, a juried film festival, and musical acts in the early 2020s. The Arts of Starved Rock Country Fund also sponsored OmniHonors to celebrate leading local artists and organizations.
“The grants and events we’ve hosted reflect our devotion to the local arts community,” said SRCCF President Fran Brolley. SRCCF has created charitable funds for downtown mural projects, the Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra, Ottawa Center for the Arts, and other arts-related organizations. We have distributed more than $3 million in grants, scholarships and disaster relief, manages over $3 million in assets, and has established 130 funds. In addition to its work in the arts, the SRCCF supports local food pantries, senior services, mental health initiatives, schools, economic development, and more.
