Rochester Opera House awarded $10G for its commitment to performing arts

The Rochester Opera House received the grant for their work in the performing arts at ROH and RPAC. (Courtesy photo)

The Rochester Opera House has been awarded a $10,000 Stand for the Arts grant to support their efforts.

The not-for-profit organization presents an annual performance season of shows for children, teens, adults, and seniors. The organization has safely kept the Rochester Performance and Arts Center (RPAC) open during the coronavirus pandemic, fulfilling its mission to "educate, engage, empower, challenge, and inspire a community of all ages by presenting extraordinary and culturally diverse theater, performance art, music, dance, and film on the city's foremost performing arts stage." Just around the block from the historic Rochester Opera House, RPAC is an intimate venue offering entertainment, educational programming, and event spaces.

In celebration of their award, Ovation and Comcast are partnering with Alton Mike "Durkish Delights" Durkee to create a #StandForTheArts piece celebrating the local arts community. The artwork will on display during Sunday's Porchfest '20 at 32 North Main Street, Rochester, NH.

Expanding upon its Stand for the Arts Awards initiative launched in 2017, Ovation TV, America's only arts network, is partnering again with Comcast in 2020 to recognize an outstanding local arts, cultural, and educational organization. The initiative is part of the independent network's national arts advocacy platform called Stand for the Arts, which supports arts access, advocacy and education.

In recognition of its community contribution, Ovation awarded $10,000 to the Rochester Opera House in Rochester, NH. The announcement was made today by Sol Doten, Senior Vice President, Content Distribution Marketing, Ovation.

Stand for the Arts Awards are given based on how well an organization empowers the community, builds strategic partnerships, drives engagement through volunteerism, and delivers creative programming.

"Together with Comcast, we're thrilled to provide support to organizations such as Rochester Opera House and the Rochester Performance & Arts Center, especially in times like these when art organizations need it most," said Doten. "Ovation encourages everyone to advocate for arts access in their community and to enjoy and support the arts in their own way throughout the pandemic."

"Earlier this year, we completed our network expansion to serve the residents and businesses of Rochester," said Tim Kelly, Vice President of Government Affairs for Comcast's Greater Boston Region. "This award to the Rochester Opera House is another moment of celebration in the Lilac City. We appreciate the efforts of Ovation and its Stand for the Arts program."

For more information, visit: www.rochesteroperahouse.com/porchfest

For more information about Stand for the Arts and the Stand for the Arts Awards, visit: www.standforthearts.com