8/11/2023 11:07:00 AM

Support the Arts License Plate Advisory Committee awards over $82K in funding


Support the Arts License Plate Advisory Committee awards over $82K in funding
Grant program seeks to promote arts in Alabama, with focus on arts education

MONTGOMERY, Ala., (August 11, 2023) The Alabama Arts License Plate Advisory Committee recently awarded 34 grants totaling $82,100. This round of grants will support arts education and community arts projects occurring between August 2023 and December 2023.

Through the grant program, proceeds from the sale of the Support the Arts license plate are used to fund arts programs, organizations, and activities across the state. Since 2004, over $2 million in grants has been awarded to schools, municipalities, and arts organizations across Alabama.

The recent grants respond to applications submitted at the July 15, 2023, deadline and represent the first round of grants awarded in the 2023 fiscal year. Lisa Blach Weil (Montgomery) chairs the six-member committee, which includes: Allison Dillon-Jauken (Huntsville), Jane Kohl (Guntersville), Andy Meadows (Montgomery), Donna Russell (Gadsden), and Cynthia Thrash (Opelika).

Committee members are appointed according to directives in the enabling legislation and meet twice annually. The committee’s primary responsibility is to evaluate grant applications and award grants that support art programs and arts education throughout Alabama. Members serve voluntarily, and one member is appointed by each of the following organizations or individuals: the Alabama State Council on the Arts, Alabama Arts Alliance, the State Department of Education, the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Nonprofit organizations, municipalities, universities, and schools can apply for Arts License Tag grant funding at arts.alabama.gov. The next application deadline December 15, 2023.

Alabama residents are encouraged to join the effort to fund the arts by purchasing a Support the Arts plate via their county’s vehicle licensing office. More information at revenue.alabama.gov.

Organization

City

County

Award Amount

Alabama Arts Alliance*

Montgomery

Montgomery

$4,000

Alabama Dance Council*

Birmingham

Jefferson

$4,000

Alabama Dance Works

Dothan

Houston

$2,000

Alabama Educational Theatre Association

Mountain Brook

Jefferson

$2,500

Alabama Folklife Association*

Montgomery

Montgomery

$4,000

Alabama State Council on the Arts*

Montgomery

Montgomery

$4,000

Alabama State Dept. of Education*

Montgomery

Montgomery

$4,000

Alabama Writers' Forum*

Montgomery

Montgomery

$4,000

Alma Bryant High School

Irvington

Mobile

$2,100

Alma Bryant High School "Hurricane" Band

Irvington

Mobile

$2,000

Azalea City Center for the Arts

Mobile

Mobile

$2,000

Black Belt Treasures Cultural Arts Center

Camden

Wilcox

$2,500

Blount County Career Tech Center

Cleveland

Blount

$1,250

Covington County Schools

Andalusia

Covington

$2,500

Create Birmingham

Birmingham

Jefferson

$2,000

DesignAlabama*

Montgomery

Montgomery

$4,000

Dunbar Creative & Performing Arts
Magnet School

Mobile

Mobile

$2,000

Eastern Shore Art Center

Fairhope

Baldwin

$2,500

Excelsior Band Preservation

Mobile

Mobile

$1,250

Florence High School/Florence Academy
of Fine Arts Dance

Florence

Lauderdale

$2,000

Greater Mobile (AL) Chapter Links

Mobile

Mobile

$2,000

Gulf Coast Arts Alliance

Fairhope

Baldwin

$2,000

Gulf Coast Saxophone Ensemble

Robertsdale

Baldwin

$2,500

Lower Alabama Arts Coalition

Andalusia

Covington

$2,000

Lurleen B Wallace Community College

Andalusia

Covington

$2,000

Magic City Acceptance Academy

Homewood

Jefferson

$2,000

Millbrook Middle School Band

Millbrook

Elmore

$2,000

Mobile Ballet

Mobile

Mobile

$2,000

Mobile Opera

Mobile

Mobile

$1,750

Muscle Shoals Songwriters Foundation

Athens

Limestone

$2,000

The Dance Foundation

Birmingham

Jefferson

$1,250

Theatre Huntsville

Huntsville

Madison

$2,000

Vestavia Hills High School

Vestavia Hills

Jefferson

$2,000

Winston County Schools

Double Springs

Winston

$2,000

*Statewide Programming Services

For more information about a particular grant, contact Donna Russell, Executive Director of the Alabama Arts Alliance, at 334-269-1435 or drussell@alartsalliance.org.

###

About Alabama State Council on the Arts
The Council on the Arts is the official state agency for the support and development of the arts in Alabama. The Council works to expand and preserve the state’s cultural resources by supporting nonprofit arts organizations, schools, colleges, units of local government, and individual artists. Arts programs, assisted by Council grants, have a track record of enhancing community development, education, cultural tourism, and overall quality of life in all regions of the state. Alabama State Council on the Arts grants are made possible by an annual appropriation from the Alabama Legislature and additional funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Learn more at arts.alabama.gov.