Mason City – The North Iowa Area Community College Performing Arts and Leadership Series is pleased to announce that it has received an Iowa Arts & Culture Recovery Program from the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. Grant funds will support a high definition camera and broadcasting system in the auditorium to allow for virtual streaming of artists and speakers.  

The Iowa Arts & Culture Recovery Program was established on December 2, 2020, when Governor Kim Reynolds allocated $7 million of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs for the purpose of providing economic relief to Iowa’s arts and culture industry. The funding is administered by the Iowa Arts Council, on behalf of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, through the Iowa Arts & Culture Emergency Relief Fund. Funding will support the NIACC Performing Arts and Leadership Series as they expand capabilities to offer top quality live-streamed performances and presentations. This support will enable the NIACC Performing Arts & Leadership Series to provide access to the arts during the current pandemic restrictions and beyond. 

Lindsay Dalrymple, NIACC Performing Arts and Leadership Series Director, said “We are so thankful that publicly funded venues were included in this opportunity. It has been difficult to keep our doors closed this long, and we have desperately missed interacting with our community. We are excited to explore the new paths this camera and broadcasting system will open up for North Iowa and beyond.” The new system will be installed in January of 2021. 

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