The GCA grant provided much needed general operating support, so that the museum could move forward with its plans for FY18. These included 16 temporary exhibitions, 11 long-term installations of the permanent collection, and 57 lectures, artists’ talks, gallery talks and special presentations related to the shows, all of which were open to the public free of charge. Onsite educational programs included Art Adventures, Teen Studio, Morning Mindfulness, films, Student Nights, Family Days, Toddler Tuesdays, and K-12 tours, including the Fifth Grade Tour, with free RT bus transportation to classes in 14 local schools. GMOA presented a concert of opera arias, and hosted Camp DIVE, as well as a symposium on Buddhist art, a panel discussion on craft, and the keynote of the Green Symposium, all of which were free admission, thanks to the GCA grant. Additional outreach programs, benefitted from the grant, as did the quarterly newsletter, exhibition brochures and rack cards, Brief Self-Guided Tour Cards, and much more. 

The GCA grant attracted the attention of elected officials, several of whom visited the museum, and including the governor, who wrote a congratulatory letter. The imprimatur of the GCA grant is invaluable in fundraising, which, in turn, has immeasurable effect on programming.