By TOM KANE

NARROWSBURG - The Delaware Arts Alliance (DVAA) has received a $77,750 grant from the New York State Council on the Arts.

The announcement was made by State Senator John Bonacic (R-Mt. Hope) last week.

DVAA is a regional arts council that funnels state money to art groups in Sullivan County.

"We're delighted that the New York State Council on the Arts has entrusted us with these grants," said Elaine Guigere, Executive Director of DVAA.

Over 50 percent of the total will be re-granted to artists and arts organizations in Sullivan County: $21,000 to cultural organizations seeking to produce or present the arts; $10,000 to individual artist to create new work, she said.

The grant also includes an artist-in-residence program for $6,000 that will take place in the three schools of Sullivan West School District. For the past two years, Narrowsburg artist Barbara McPhail was the artist-in-residence at the Narrowsburg School. McPhail will now take the program to Jeffersonville and Delaware Valley.

The remaining dollars will support the community arts programs at DVAA which include a fall and spring series of concert and theater events in the Tusten Theatre, a year-round gallery, management and development of two arts facilities and a film and literary series.

DVAA conducts workshops to help groups and individuals in the writing of their proposal.

The workshop for individuals will be held on Tuesday, September 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the DVAA offices in Narrowsburg.

There will be three workshops for groups: Saturday, September 16 at 10:30 a.m. at DVAA; Monday, September 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Government Center, 100 North Street, Monticello and Wednesday, September 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Sullivan County Museum in Hurleyville.

The deadline for group proposals is October 20 and for individuals is October 27.