The Georgia Council for the Arts announced Wednesday the recipients of fiscal year 2025 Vibrant Communities and Cultural Facilities competitive grant awards.
69 entities in 51 counties across the state, including some in Northeast Georgia, were selected to receive over $1.4 million in funding. The Vibrant Communities Grant aims to support a variety of arts programs throughout the state, including murals, artist performances in schools, community theater productions, and festivals. The Cultural Facilities Grant supports capital improvements to or construction of buildings to be used for arts programming, including existing buildings that are historical or prominent in a community. The council for the arts is a specialized Georgia Economic Development team that works to support arts and culture.
“Georgia Council for the Arts continues to be an important resource to communities and the grants announced today will make a difference for them as they preserve special venues that bring people together and support diverse arts programming that inspires creativity and connection,” Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson said. “The arts industry is fundamental to GDEcD’s mission of bringing jobs, hope, and opportunity to Georgians. By attracting visitors to our towns and expanding educational opportunities, arts organizations enhance quality of life and drive job creation in every corner of the state.”
Several entities in Barrow County are set to receive the funding, including the Barrow County School System and ArtsNow Learning. Yargo Elementary School and Holsenbeck Elementary School with Barrow County Schools were also listed.
Other recipients in Northeast Georgia included the Aurora Theatre in Gwinnett County, the Athens Film Arts Institute dba Ciné in Clarke County and West Jackson Elementary School in Jackson County. BGCMA in Madison County and the City of Lavonia Mayor and Council in Franklin County will also receive the grant.
The GCA only awarded the Vibrant Communities Grants to entities in counties in which no organization had already received council funding for the fiscal year 2025 grants cycle. Cultural Facilities Grants are available to arts organizations for repairing, preserving, renovating, constructing, or acquiring an arts facility or for purchasing equipment.
The selection process includes Peer Review Panels to judge and review competitive grant applications following standard practices set by the National Endowment for the Arts. Panelists are GCA Council members and have experience in the arts discipline or type of grant being reviewed, or are citizens with a record of arts activities, experience, and knowledge.
Funding for these grants is provided through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly. This year, Cultural Facilities Grant awards are also supported by funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP). This additional supplementary funding for three fiscal years has allowed GCA to award an increased amount of Cultural Facilities Grants to help combat the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on arts organizations in the state.
