More than $30,000 was recently awarded to six local arts organizations for their innovative ways of staying afloat in the wake of reduced funding and and audiences as the economy took its toll.

The grants were awarded as part of a public/private partnership through the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and the Sacramento Region Community Foundation.

“When the economic crisis hit, we had these organizations calling us and saying their doors were going to shut, but they survived,” said Priscilla Enriquez, chief giving officer for the Sacramento Region Community Foundation. “We wanted to acknowledge that fact and learn how they survived.”

The six organizations receiving the grants were The Sacramento ballet ($10,000), The Sacramento Choral Society ($8,500), Capital Stage ($7,000) and three awards of $1,500 each to the Sacramento Philharmonic, La Raza Galeria Posada and Instituto Mazatlan Bellas Artes.

Enriquez said the organizations received 28 applicants, which were narrowed down to 15, who then submitted their proposals with a donor and a board member to a panel put together by the organizations.

“What really resonated for the panel members was the fact that their innovation was strategic ... it wasn’t just one single thing,” Enriquez said. “Each portion of their strategy provided something for the next.”

Greg Smith, executive director of first-prize-winning Sacramento Ballet, said his organization’s proposal highlighted the efforts made over the past year to expand the art form into the community.

“We actually relocated many of the performances to in-studio performances so we depended less on lighting and special effects and more on the intimacy of the art form itself, and it really drew people’s attention to see this in a nontheatrical setting,” he said.

Smith added that holding about 40 shows in smaller spaces than the normal eight shows in the Community Center Theater helped the audiences get a better feel for the dancing because they were much closer han they normally would be from theater seats.

This year, the ballet plans to expand on that success by adding shows in Davis, Folsom and at St. Francis High School.

With a $2.5 million budget, $10,000 might not seem like much, but Smith said the fact that it’s unrestricted means the ballet can use it to fill gaps anywhere it needs.

Two upcoming events will be held at the Crest Theatre: Capital Choreography Project (Oct. 22) and Family Fun, Discover Dance (Oct. 23). More information is available here.

Receiving the second prize was The Sacramento Choral Society.

Board President James McCormick said the $8,500 prize will help bring the organization closer to a positive cash flow.

“In the summer, it’s a bit of a quieter time for donations,” McCormick said, “so this was really a Godsend. We’re very grateful. It was a great experience.”

McCormick said the organization received the grant due to its launching of a new series in the recently remodeled cathedral downtown. The renovation opened up the cupola, and he said the acoustics are perfect for a capella performances as well as those with organ accompaniments.

“We’re launching a new series in a new venue,” McCormick said. “We’re proud of that. We’ll be doing a whole series of performances at the Mondavi Center. We wanted to have our Sacramento presence felt.”

That new series will be kicking off soon, and more information is available here.

Taking the third prize was Capital Stage.

According to founder and Artistic Director Stephanie Gularte, Capital Stage’s goals are to introduce bold and compelling new plays being produced across the United States in Sacramento.

Capital Stage recently signed a lease on a building in Midtown that used to be a gun store with the intention of converting it to a theater and using it to stage productions beginning in 2011.

Gularte wrote in an e-mail that Capital Stage is excited to receive the funds, especially since their usage is not regulated.

“We are very grateful for this flexibility in the use of our gift and plan to apply the funds to the marketing and promotion of our new 2010-11 Season of Premiers,” she wrote.

Capital Stage’s sixth season kicks off Oct. 8 with Theresa Rebeck’s “Mauritius.”

“We have an exciting lineup of dynamic plays all season that will be making their Sacramento debuts,” she wrote.

More information about Capital Stage can be found here.

This year’s grant awarding was deemed a success, and Enriquez said the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and the Sacramento Region Community Foundation plan to continue with the program into the future.

“They really believe in the arts as a key aspect of the city,” Enriquez said. “It’s not just about programming, it’s really about how these organizations think innovatively to stay alive.”

Choral Society photo courtesy James McCormick.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.