School Foundation Wins Fine Arts Grant

The Westminster School District’s Foundation for Educational Excellence has won a $25,000 grant to fund fine arts programs, a district spokeswoman said.

The Beverly Hills-based Wilbur May Foundation awarded the grant, which will provide $5,000 annually for the next five years to fund assemblies and workshops covering topics including dance, music and visual arts, district spokeswoman Audrey Brown said.

This winter, the grant will pay for eight artists to visit schools, including a Native American storyteller and musician, a trio that performs dances of Hawaii, Samoa and New Zealand, and a performer who uses traditional African instruments, Brown said.

Founded in 1990, the district foundation has raised more than $80,000 for its schools to buy classroom materials and pay for annual student recognition awards, academic competitions and student activities, Brown said.