The gang at Box Wine Theatre, seen here in a 2011 Fringe Festival performance, have a new grant to sing and dance about, as do 65 other area arts groups.

For smaller arts organizations in the seven-county metro area that are overlooked or ineligible for awards from the heavy hitters, the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council is a godsend.

In its second round of 2013 community arts grants, MRAC gave a total of $317,438 in funding to 66 groups and projects including small theater and dance companies, civic orchestras, small-town arts festivals and a 4-H arts camp for youth in Washington County. The grantees were chosen for displaying "both strong artistic quality and connection ot community."

A typical grant was $5,000, and none were higher than that amount. For a full list of recipients, go to www.mrac.org.