ATLANTA — Nearly 70 organizations in 51 counties are getting grant support from the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
The funding, $1.4 million according to an announcement from the Georgia Council for the Arts, will be split between 69 organizations and used to support arts programs in rural communities.
“Arts are at the heart of what makes our communities feel like home. GCA grants provide essential funding for arts organizations, which helps them achieve their goals, raise awareness of their activities, and strengthen the identity of their communities,” Georgia Council for the Arts Executive Director Tina Lilly said. “By supporting the arts, we’re not just supporting events but investing in a more vibrant and resilient Georgia.”
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Officials said the funds were from the 2025 Vibrant Communities and Cultural Facilities competitive grant award, aimed at supporting organizations across Georgia, including rural communities.
Projects supported by the Vibrant Communities Grant include murals, art performances in schools, community theater productions and local festivals.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
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The Georgia Council for the Arts said they’d received applications for the Vibrant Communities Grants from a combination of schools, libraries, museums, cities, historical societies, community theaters, dance companies, Boys & Girls Clubs, and multi-disciplinary arts, in addition to other organizations.
When awarding the grant funds this cycle, GCA said they’d awarded organizations from areas where no organization had gotten GCA funding for the 2025 fiscal year grants cycle.
A peer review group judged grant applicants based on policies of the National Endowment of the Arts, officials said. All of the review panel members are GCA Council members and art professionals.
Here are all of the organizations receiving grants:
- Albany Museum of Art Dougherty
- Athens Film Arts Institute dba Ciné
- Atlanta Ballet
- Atlanta Celebrates Photography dba Atlanta Center for Photography
- Augusta Mini Theatre
- Aurora Theatre
- Center for Puppetry Arts
- City of Hogansville
- City of Roswell
- City of Swainsboro
- City of Warrenton
- Colquitt County Arts Center dba The Arts Center of Moultrie
- Elbert Theatre Foundation Inc
- Friends of Calhoun’s GEM Theatre
- Golden Isles Arts & Humanities
- Historic DeSoto Theatre Foundation
- LaGrange Art Museum
- Martin Centre Preservation Company
- Paradise Garden Foundation
- Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center
- Seven Stages dba 7 Stages
- Springer Opera House
- Thomasville Cultural Center
- Washington Little Theater Company
- Alapaha Station Celebration
- Andrew College
- Area Children’s Theatre
- ArtsNow Learning
- Barrow County School System
- BGCMA
- Bridging the Gap Educational Services
- Calhoun Gordon Arts Council
- City of Chickamauga
- City of Forsyth Convention & Visitors Bureau
- City of Jesup
- City of Lavonia Mayor and Council
- City of Vienna
- CJE Foundation
- Coffee Alliance for the Arts
- Colquitt Miller Arts Council
- Downtown Development Authority of City of Lafayette
- Echols County Schools Performing Arts
- Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Arts Council
- Franklin Memorial Library
- Friends of Calhoun’s GEM Theatre
- Griffin Ballet Theatre
- Griffin Choral Arts
- Hazlehurst-Jeff Davis County Board of Tourism
- Holsenbeck Elementary School - Barrow County School System
- John Hamm Performing Arts Series at Covenant College
- Lexington Downtown Development Authority
- Live Oak Public Libraries
- Main Street Blackshear/Better Hometown Blackshear
- Martin Centre Preservation Company
- Meriwether Educational and Community Improvement Foundation
- Museum of Aviation Foundation
- New Mountain Hill Elementary
- Pasaquan Preservation Society
- Piedmont University
- Pioneer Historical Society - Telfair Center for the Arts
- Popes Museum Preservation
- Savannah River Productions
- Screven County School System
- Sonoraville High School Performing Arts
- Stewart County Historical Commission
- Sumter Players
- Taliaferro County Library
- Thomson McDuffie County Library
- Walker County African American Historical and Alumni Association
- West Jackson Elementary School
- Yargo Elementary - Barrow County School System
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