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The arts in Queens will still continue to thrive despite the city’s financial burdens. U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside) announced several arts organizations in Queens will receive federal grants from the economic stimulus bill in an effort to help preserve local non-profit jobs and support creative and artistic projects.

The National Endowment of the Arts will distribute the funds to four organizations in Queens. They are specifically being used to create or maintain two jobs at each organization. The Flushing Council on the Arts is one of the four, receiving $50,000. The two positions the grant will help support are that of Facilities/Capital Projects Manager and Education Department Associate.

Located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the Queens Museum of Art will also receive $50,000 to maintain the current positions in the education and curatorial departments. The educator coordinates many of the museum’s school and family education programs while overseeing ten teaching artists, and the preparator is essentially the exhibition production manager who plans exhibition installations and oversees a lot of upper level operations.

One of the museum’s vital programs is the Queens Teens Program, which works with Frank Sinatra School of the Arts and the High School for Arts and Business in Corona to provide paid internships for its students. Some 30 students a year are given the opportunity to work at the museum once a week and learn about the exhibitions on view, which they also conduct tours of themselves.

Long Island Traditions, which serves Long Island and Queens, will receive $25,000 to retain the positions of executive director and part-time program coordinator. “This grant will enable LI Traditions to continue its folk and traditional arts programs in area schools, support our teaching artists, and provide quality programs to area schools and communities here on Long Island,” said Executive Director Nancy Solomon.

The $50,000 going to the Queens Theatre in the Park, the final recipient, will help retain six part-time artistic directors as well as the associate director of the theater. “We are elated that these key positions in our theater will be supported with this grant, as it ensures the integrity and scope of work our Theatre can provide the community” said Executive Director Jeff Rosenstock. The theater is home to a wide range of performing-arts disciplines.