Amy Palmer is the new grants manager at Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville.
SINCE WHEN?
April.
WHAT DOES SHE DO?
Palmer’s responsibilities include coordinating and writing the council’s grant proposals, researching grant opportunities, managing awarded grants, facilitating project planning, assisting with administration of the Cultural Services Grant Program (CSGP), providing technical assistance for cultural partners, developing content for their website and participating in council initiatives.
WHAT IS THE CSGP?
“One of the biggest things we do is serve as a re-granting agency for the City of Jacksonville. We’re gearing up for the Cultural Services Grant Program, which provides money for general operations support to cultural facilities. We just held a bunch of workshops; the applications are due in the summer.”
WHERE IS THE CSGP HEADED?
“The Cultural Council has been administering the CSGP since 1990. It has really grown. In 2000, we had 19 recipients. In 2001, it was 24 and 30 for 2002. Now, for the upcoming cycle, we have 45 preapplications but all 45 will probably not be receiving a grant. Jacksonville has been supportive, too, because the amount of money they put towards it has grown. In 2001, we were able to add another grant program funded through the City. In the future, we hope to increase services to individual artists. We’re going through strategic planning with the board and staff to designate specific designs because we know that area needs to become more of a focus. That’s where we haven’t done as much.”
WHO ARE YOUR CLIENTS?
“For the most part, they are the cultural organizations in Jacksonville.”
WHY WORK FOR THE COUNCIL?
“In Jacksonville, the Cultural Council was a place where I thought would be interesting to work. Because of my background with other cultural groups, I was familiar with the Cultural Council. I feel like it’s a wonderful organization. I like that we can look at the big picture and be able to bring different entities together to better Jacksonville and promote arts and culture.”
WHAT’S CHALLENGING ABOUT IT?
“Somebody may have an idea for a project and you have to craft it to where it makes sense and the funder would be interested. I get a lot of satisfaction when the money actually comes through.”
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE FOR THE COUNCIL?
“My wish is for every child in Jacksonville to have quality exposure to the arts — to have an art teacher and a music teacher and really have that experience. It adds to their quality of life and their ability to learn. All genres yield a positive result. I think it’s a really important part of a child’s education.”
HOME BASE
High Point, N.C. is where Palmer was born.
WHAT BROUGHT YOU HERE?
“My husband Hugh is from Jacksonville. We hit a point where we were ready to settle down and so we decided to come to Jacksonville because his family is here.” The couple lives in Atlantic Beach with their two-year-old daughter Avery. Palmer is in the process of joining the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
After graduating from Lenoir-Rhyne College in North Carolina, Palmer worked as a reporter and editor for The Sun-Journal in New Bern, N.C. From there she traveled to the other side of the globe to teach Japanese students English as a second language. The initiative was sponsored in junior high and high schools by the Japanese government to improve their citizens conversational English skills.
WHY VISIT THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN?
“For the experience to live and work abroad. I had a degree in education from the University of North Carolina plus a strong background in writing so it was a good fit.”
BEFORE SHE FOUND HER CALLING
While in college, Palmer volunteered for a French study curriculum where she taught English as a second language to French children in Aix-en-Provence. She was also employed as a kindergarten teacher in Marion, N.C.
BLAZING A TRAIL
Since 1996, Palmer has been put her writing skills to work. She was the grants writer and publications editor for the Museum of Science and History, the corporate communications coordinator for WJCT Public Broadcasting and the grants coordinator for WJCT.
HOBBIES
Southern Crossing in Riverside houses an antique booth for Palmer to express her creative side. Reading southern literature, traveling to Brugges, Belgium and frequenting Sliders in Neptune Beach for seafood are other passions. Her love for writing led her to take a course in writing novels for children. She has scribbled out some text, but has yet to send them to a publisher. Her favorite movie is “Fantasia.”
WHO’S YOUR HERO?
“Jacques-Yves Cousteau [French marine explorer] because of all of the impact he had on raising awareness of our natural world and the importance of protecting the environment.”
— by Monica Chamness