The Dixie Receives Stand for The Arts Grant, Recognition

Spectrum today announced The Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center (The Dixie PAC) will receive $10,000 through the 2023-2024 Stand For The Arts Awards, a partnership with Ovation TV that recognizes local arts, cultural and educational organizations and programs. Since the initiative started in 2017, Ovation TV and Spectrum have given out 70 awards totaling $700,000 towards arts education.

“We commend this year’s Stand For The Arts Award honoree The Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center for their support of local creatives and advocacy for accessibility to the arts through preservation, education and opportunity,” said Adam Falk, Senior Vice President, State Government Affairs for Charter Communications, Inc., which operates the Spectrum brand of Internet, TV, Mobile and Voice services. “Charter’s partnership with Ovation TV will help strengthen and uplift these vital arts and cultural organizations and continues our commitment to invest in and support the communities we serve.”

The Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center will use its 2023-2024 Stand For The Arts funding to offer scholarships for art classes to K-12 students in the community. The Dixie PAC offers academic enrichment in photography, pottery, painting, music, theatre, and art during the fall, spring and summer months.

“Thank you to Ovation TV and Charter for recognizing the value of art in our daily lives and how it has the remarkable ability to evoke emotions, challenge perceptions, and connect people from different backgrounds and cultures,” said Angela DeMaris, Executive Director, The Dixie PAC. “Whether it’s through painting or music, art enriches our lives and adds depth to our human experience and we at The Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center will always stand for the arts.

The Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center is one of 10 organizations receiving support in Spectrum markets across the country. Select arts organizations are awarded $10,000 Stand For The Arts contributions based on the following criteria: support of creatives and artists via community-driven programming; as advocates for equity and access to the arts; and for providing accessible spaces for creative expression.

“Ovation TV and Spectrum continue to support and champion community-driven arts organizations across the country,” stated Sol Doten, Senior Vice President, Head of Marketing and Communications for Ovation TV. “It remains the priority of our Stand For The Arts partnership – seven years strong – to honor these arts organizations as they encourage and uplift artists on a local level.”

In accepting the honor, DeMaris said, “The Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center is honored to receive such a prestigious arts award from Ovation TV and Charter Communications. When former Mayor Dale R. Kelley had the vision to revitalize the downtown area in Huntingdon by putting a Performing Arts Center right in the middle of the court square, I am sure there were hesitations. In fact Dixie Carter and Hal Holbrook themselves found it hard to believe. But here we are almost 19 years later engaging over 20 thousand individuals every year through a variety of performances, concerts, plays, community events, and art classes.

This award is a testament to the collective effort of many special people…the Dixie Staff, volunteers, Board of Directors, Town of Huntingdon employees, Town council and Mayor of Huntingdon, Nina Smothers. They were mentioned already…but We also wish to thank our public representatives who fight for the arts at a state level and our local mayors within the county and surrounding areas….all of whom support us in dramatic ways.

Thank you to Ovation TV and Charter for recognizing the value of art in our daily lives and how it has the remarkable ability to evoke emotions, challenge perceptions, and connect people from different backgrounds and cultures. Whether it’s through painting or music, art enriches our lives and adds depth to our human experience and we at The Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center will ALWAYS stand for the arts.

We plan to use this award to offer scholarships to K-12 students in our community for art classes in the upcoming years. The Dixie offers academic enrichment in photography, pottery, painting, music, theatre, and art during the fall, spring and summer months.