PHOENIX — Nearly five dozen nonprofit arts and culture organizations have been awarded $865,000 in grants from the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture.

Among the 55 recipients was the Arizona Theatre Company, which received almost $80,000. The company has been foundering financially and had announced the possibility of having to cancel its upcoming season.

Another significant grant recipient was the Desert Botanical Gardens, which received almost $60,000.

“We can’t create a strong economy without a vibrant arts community, which is why we tripled our funding for the arts over the past four years,” said Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton in a press release.

The award total was a $60,000 increase for the city’s art and culture grant program.

Some of the program’s grants were for general operating costs while other grants were dedicated to specific events such as festivals.

Stanton also pointed to the tangible economic benefits of the art and culture community.

“The arts and culture sector supported by these grants contributes more than $300 million in economic impact and generates more than $14 million in Phoenix tax revenue, based on the last economic study of the sector,” he said.

The mayor and Phoenix City Council approved the distribution plan June 22.

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