Big news for Canton’s Partnership for the Arts and Humanities

The Canton Partnership for the Arts and Humanities has announced the awarding of 13 grants to 12 organizations/events totaling $51,300 to foster cultural, arts, and humanities programming for the Canton community throughout 2026.

Following are the 12 grantees include (in alphabetical order):

• 88.1 THE PARK RADIO STATION: $2,500 – To help transform the studio and collaborative space.

• CANTON COMMISSION FOR CULTURE, ARTS, AND HERITAGE (2 grants): $5,000 – To bring live jazz music to our natural spaces and cultural music to our public spaces. $4,000 – To expand the International Poetry Project by commissioning two local artists to create murals in our community.

• CANTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY: $1,500 – To support guest lectures.

• LIFE IS A CABARET / AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY: $5,000 – To support the addition of a second performance of the Life is a Cabaret musical revue at The Village Theater at Cherry Hill.

• CANTON LEISURE SERVICES: $7,500 – To replace lighting at the Heritage Park Amphitheater Stage.

• DANCE UPRISING: $4,500 – To support a dance workshop and dance concert (with a talk back) at The Village Theater at Cherry Hill.

• MICHIGAN PHILHARMONIC: $3,000 – To support two concerts of the Michigan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra at The Village Theater at Cherry Hill.

• PLYMOUTH CANTON COMMUNITY LITERACY COUNCIL: $6,000 – To present four community workshops at the Village Arts Factory that blend the creativity of the arts with the joy of reading, offering interactive experiences for participants of all ages.

• ROOTED VISION PHOTOGRAPHY: $4,500 – To launch a community of creatives who enjoy photography, journalism, and other creative ventures. This includes monthly creative gatherings and equipment support.
• SNEHASIS GANGULY AND RICHARD MUL, ACA : $1,500 – To support the 2026 Pan Asian Festival at Heritage Park.

• SPOTLIGHT PLAYERS: $800 – To host an inclusive theatre workshop for children and adults with special needs.
• VILLAGE THEATER AT CHERRY HILL: $6,000 – To support a Summer Theater Intensive program.

“These thirteen grants represent the heartbeat of a thriving community —where radio waves carry new voices, stages light up with youth orchestras and musical theater, public spaces come alive with jazz and international poetry, and creative expression becomes accessible to everyone, from aspiring photographers to individuals with special needs,” said Christopher W. Tremblay, chair of the grants committee for the Partnership for the Arts and the Humanities.

“Together, these projects remind us that arts and culture are not luxuries — they are the threads that weave us together, transform ordinary spaces into gathering places, and ensure that every member of our community has an opportunity to create, perform, and belong.”

The average amount per grantee was just under $4,000.