CAMBRIDGE — Choptank Arts & Culture Exchange (CACE) selected seven recipients for its first round of Choptank500 grants in August 2024. The Cambridge-based nonprofit awards $500 grants to artists and cultural organizations based in Dorchester and Talbot counties.

“We were inspired by the exceptional and diverse applications we received, which made the selection process both challenging and gratifying,” said CACE President De'Vonte Perry. “Choptank Arts and Culture Exchange is dedicated to nurturing and advancing artistic and cultural endeavors, and we are honored to support the work being done by our inaugural grant recipients.”

Choptank500 grants have been awarded to:

All4Love: to support printing photographs from the “Just a Kid from Cambridge” project, an offshoot of the organization’s Next Gen Mentoring Program.

Friends of the Dorchester County Public Library: to support the purchase of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) related books for the children’s section of the Cambridge and Hurlock libraries.

Improv Easton: to facilitate improvisation workshops for educators, mental health providers, faith leaders, artists, and administrators.

Mid-Shore Community Band: to purchase new music and help cover costs of performing in accessible locations.

New Creation Marching Unit: to purchase material to make uniforms for community marching band members ranging in age from five-years-old to adult.

Wednesday Morning Artists: to offset cost of a Raku clay workshop for senior citizen artists at Peach Blossom Community Center.

WorldWide Hope: to help preserve traditional Mexican folklore through youth-based dance and storytelling initiatives.

CACE will begin accepting applications for the next round of Choptank500 grants in the fall 2024. The all-volunteer organization strives to provide effective and efficient support, with little or no administrative overhead, to Eastern Shore artists and cultural organizations.

For more information, visit choptankarts.org. To speak with a CACE representative, send an email to connect@choptankarts.org.