The Llano Fine Arts Guild and Gallery will complete renovations to its north and south galleries thanks to a $24,090 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of Llano.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $56,210 in matching contributions, will allow the Llano County Art Association to finish the work it began six years ago to renovate its art gallery housed in two connected downtown buildings.
“In addition to giving members of the guild a place to display and sell their art, our space is available to groups or individuals for the purpose of anything artistic and educational,” said Sandra Overstreet, member and past president of the Llano Fine Arts Guild and Gallery. “Groups have used it for music lessons, symphony concerts, art lessons and meetings. The guild also sponsors a summer art camp every year for children ages 12 and younger.”
The grant will help pay for new walls, flooring, wiring, plumbing, lighting, a bathroom that complies with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, and a heating, ventilating and air conditioning system. The funds also will help pay for relocating a kitchen.
“These two buildings were in such a state of disrepair – burned areas, leaking, bad floors – and were difficult to keep clean,” Overstreet said. “We were fortunate to have a lot of volunteer help over the years, and receiving this grant will now help finish the renovations that will give these 100-year-old buildings a new life where people can enjoy gathering inside them once again.”
The gallery buildings also are an integral part of the Llano Main Street Program, which focuses on historic preservation as part of economic development to create a Historic Business District enjoyed by both residents and visitors. The Llano Fine Arts Guild and Gallery has members and participants from Llano and nearby communities such as Buchanan Dam, Sunrise Beach, Kingsland and Horseshoe Bay.
The community grant is one of 32 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. The City of Llano is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.
LCRA and City of Llano representatives presented a $24,090 grant to the Llano Fine Arts Guild and Gallery for gallery renovations. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Donna Davis, Llano County Art Association board president; Sandra Overstreet, Llano Fine Arts Guild and Gallery member and past president; Erica Berry, Llano City Manager; Margaret Wilkinson, volunteer; Susan Patten, LCRA Regional Affairs representative; Carol Freeman, LCRA Board member; and Ron Cunningham, Llano County Judge.