Business Briefs

The OceanFirst Foundation has awarded $150,000 in grants to eighteen local organizations through the 2009 Arts and Cultural Grant program. Grants range from $1,000 to $15,000 and will provide general operating support.

This year's grant recipients are Algonquin Arts, Manasquan; Allaire Village, Farmingdale; Brick Children's Community Theatre, Brick; Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank; Festival of the Atlantic, Brick; Garden State Philharmonic, Brick; Joseph P. Hayes Theatre, Beach Haven; Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, Loveladies; Monmouth County Arts Council, Red Bank; Monmouth Museum and Cultural Center, Lincroft; New Jersey Museum of Boating, Bay Head; Ocean County Artists' Guild, Island Heights; Ocean County Historical Society, Toms River; Ocean County Library Foundation, Toms River; Pine Shores Art Association, Manahawkin; Spring Lake Shakespeare in the Park, Spring Lake; Strand Ventures, Lakewood; and Two River Theater Company, Red Bank.

Grant recipients were selected based on criteria including artistic excellence or the ability to enhance cultural richness within the OceanFirst service area, a broad benefit to the community, potential to increase participation in arts and cultural programs among underserved populations, collaboration with other community organizations that maximizes opportunities to reach larger and more diverse audiences and patrons, a fiscal and managerial ability to implement programming and a successful track record of presenting programs and activities.

For more information about Ocean- First Foundation and the Arts and Cultural Grant Program, visit www.oceanfirstfdn. org or call 732-341-4676.