The Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island (COAHSI) will partner with the College of Staten Island’s (CSI) Center for the Arts (CFA) to honor the 2009 COAHSI Project Grantees on Saturday, February 21. The art exhibit in the CFA Atrium will begin at 7:00pm with doors opening to the CFA Williamson Theatre for the ceremony at 7:30pm. Tickets are $15, and can be purchased in person, by phone, by mail, and online through the CFA Box Office, 2800 Victory Boulevard, 1P-113, Staten Island. Hours: Monday–Friday, 9am to 4pm; Saturday, noon to 3pm; 718.982.ARTS (2787), www.cfashows.com.

COAHSI’s Night of Staten Island Artists is complete with live music, performance art, film, a pre-show art gallery exhibit, and a post-show reception. It is not just an awards ceremony; it is a celebration of the thriving, and often unnoticed, Staten Island arts scene. This night promises to highlight the achievements and talents of many Staten Islanders who have dedicated the time, and sometimes their lives, to perfect their craft, while proving that Staten Island is not a forgotten borough—but a borough of hidden treasures.

This year’s group of grantees is diverse, varying in age, background, experience, and artistic discipline. On tap for the awards ceremony are exhibits by grantees Stephen Barnett, Willie Chu, Laura Del Prete, Nick Fevelo, Justin Gaynor, Cristoph Mayer, Ann Marie McDonnell, Rudolph Montanez, Philip Sanders, Tattfoo Tan, and Meg Whitlock. There will also be live performances by Day De Dada, Mikhael Antone, Cecilia Flores/Floorwork Dance Company, NYC Arts Cypher, and Marcel Rominger. In addition to these performances, there will be recognition of the Arts in Education grantees with a performance by students working in collaboration with Sundog Theatre Company. Also attending will be Congressman Michael McMahon and Senator Diane Savino to award the Original Work grants.

The Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island works to foster, develop, and support the arts and humanities on Staten Island. We do this through professional development, technical assistance, and re-grants to artists and arts organizations. COAHSI works hard to bring together artists, organizations, and the greater Staten Island community. For more information on COAHSI visit www.statenislandarts.org.

# # # # # # # # #

Directions to the Center for the Arts, 2800 Victory Blvd., 1P, Staten Island, NY:

By Car: A few minutes’ drive from the Verrazano-Narrows, Goethals, and Bayonne bridges. Take I-278 (the Staten Island Expressway) exit at Victory Boulevard, and proceed to campus parking lots 1 and 2. Parking is free.

By NYC Transit: From Manhattan, the CFA is served by the S62, S61, X10 buses, coordinated with the Staten Island Ferry schedule. From Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, the CFA is served the S93 and S53 buses. To plan your trip, use the MTA trip planner at www.tripplanner.mta.info/.

COAHSI will honor some of Staten Island's finest artists and performers at the Center for the Arts.