12/11/2023 10:28:00 AM

Over $1.1 million in grants awarded to Alabama arts organizations, schools, & artists


Announcing project grant recipients & traditional arts apprentices

MONTGOMERY, Ala., (December 11, 2023) — At its December quarterly meeting in Montgomery, Ala., the Alabama State Council on the Arts awarded 185 grants totaling $1,172,100 to 152 organizations and individuals across the state.

The latest round of grantees includes organizations specializing in arts education, folk arts, community arts, literary arts, dance, music, theatre, and visual art forms. These grants serve as catalysts for new and innovative public offerings, enhancing educational programs and fostering artistic growth.

Additionally, traditional artist apprenticeships were awarded to 24 individuals. The Folk Arts Apprenticeship program is designed to preserve and pass on Alabama’s traditional arts. These grants have consistently had a tremendous impact by continuing important cultural expressions within communities and providing valuable artistic training for individuals.

“Art and creativity make us stronger as individuals, families, communities, and as a state. They are the backbone of innovation, prosperity, and thriving people and places. The grants awarded by the Council are a high-return investment that will benefit millions of Alabamians in the months ahead,” said Dr. Elliot Knight, Executive Director of the Council on the Arts.

During their time in the River Region, the Council on the Arts board learned more about some of the organizations that strengthen the community. The King’s Canvas, Pike Road Theatre Company, the Alabama Writers’ Forum, and Cloverdale Playhouse gave presentations during the two-day meeting. Council members also attended a reception at the Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts in downtown Wetumpka to see how their leadership has leveraged Council grants. Over the past few years, the Kelly has galvanized robust community support, enabling the creation of new full-time jobs and the purchase and renovation of an amazing facility overlooking the Coosa River.

PROJECT GRANTS

The following grant recipients represent a broad range of organizations, from grassroots community collectives to established cultural institutions. The funds awarded will fuel the implementation of festivals, concerts, exhibitions, artist residencies, workshops, and public art, bolstering Alabama’s artistic scene and enriching lives across the state. The Council on the Arts’ commitment to providing administrative support is also reflected in this grant cycle, ensuring that organizations can continue to focus on artistic programming.

Organization

City

County

Amount

Project

Academy for Academics and
Arts PTA

Huntsville

Madison

$6,400.00

Dance Africa 2024

Alabama Blues Project

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

$6,600.00

Salary Support

Alabama Blues Project

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

$7,100.00

YMCA Blues Camp 2024

Alabama Contemporary Art Center

Mobile

Mobile

$14,200.00

Independent Projects Program

Alabama Dance Theatre

Montgomery

Montgomery

$3,000.00

Community Days, Open Studio 2024

Alabama Folklife Association

Mobile

Mobile

$6,100.00

Devising the Hollow Square: Alabama Sacred Harp as Contemporary Chorus

Alabama Institute for Education
in the Arts

Montgomery

Montgomery

$14,200.00

Summer Institute 2024

Alabama Institute for Education
in the Arts

Montgomery

Montgomery

$10,700.00

Summer Institute 2024 Administrative Support

Alabama Orchestra Association

Dothan

Alabama

$7,100.00

Alabama All-State Orchestra Festival 2024

Alabama Public Television

Birmingham

Jefferson

$7,600.00

Monograph 2024

Alabama Public Television

Birmingham

Jefferson

$7,100.00

Big Mama Thornton: Queen of the Blues

Alabama State University Foundation

Montgomery

Montgomery

$4,300.00

Creating AfricanAmericanArtHistory.com

Alabama Visual Arts Network

Vestavia Hills

Madison

$7,100.00

The 39th Annual Alabama Clay Conference

Alabama-Korea Education and Economic Partnership

Montgomery

Montgomery

$5,100.00

Paper Cutting Arts Workshops and Exhibition

Ars Nova School of the Arts

Huntsville

Madison

$10,200.00

A Community of Arts

Arts Council of Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

$6,600.00

Flow Tuscaloosa 2024

ArtsRevive

Selma

Dallas

$12,200.00

Salary Support

Auburn Area Community Theatre

Opelika

Lee

$5,300.00

The Show Must Go On!

Auburn University

Auburn

Lee

$13,400.00

Collaboration with Margaret Renkl and Billy Renkl

Azalea City Center for the Arts

Mobile

Mobile

$5,300.00

Tickets for Teachers 2024

Azalea City Center for the Arts

Mobile

Mobile

$5,200.00

Professional Development for Drama Teachers

Baldwin County Public Schools

Bay Minette

Baldwin

$7,000.00

Let All the Kids Play!

BAMA Kids

Camden

Wilcox

$7,600.00

Broadway Comes to the Black Belt

Birmingham Chamber Music Society

Mountain Brook

Jefferson

$5,400.00

Spring Concert Season 2024

Birmingham Talks

Birmingham

Jefferson

$4,000.00

All 99

Black Belt & Central Alabama Housing Authority

Selma

Dallas

$12,200.00

Blackbelt and Capital Gospel Festivals, Talent Show, and Arts Exhibit

Cahaba Riverkeeper

Birmingham

Jefferson

$5,100.00

Deeply Placed: Digital Art and the Environment

Camp McDowell

Nauvoo

Walker

$14,200.00

Instructors for the Alabama Folk School

Carnegie Visual Arts Center

Decatur

Morgan

$5,600.00

Exhibition of "The River is the Road: Paintings by George Rodrigue"

Carnegie Visual Arts Center

Decatur

Morgan

$4,000.00

Salary Support

Central Alabama Caribbean American Organization

Birmingham

Jefferson

$6,100.00

Caribbean Music and Food Festival

City of Auburn

Auburn

Lee

$6,600.00

Adventures in Art, "Out of this World"

City of Orange Beach

Orange Beach

Baldwin

$6,600.00

 Production of "The Wizard of Oz"

City of Winfield Pastime Theatre

Winfield

Marion

$13,200.00

Concert Season 2024

City of Winfield Pastime Theatre

Winfield

Marion

$7,000.00

Salary Support

Classical Ballet of Mobile

Mobile

Mobile

$7,100.00

Production of "Coppélia"

ClefWorks

Montgomery

Montgomery

$3,700.00

Spring Forward: Celebrating Chamber Music

Cloverdale Playhouse

Montgomery

Montgomery

$14,200.00

Mainstage Season 2024

Community Foundation of West Alabama

Northport

Tuscaloosa

$4,000.00

Southeast Fiddle Championship 2024

Covington County Schools

Andalusia

Covington

$7,100.00

Extracurricular Engagement for Theatre and Dance

Covington County Schools

Andalusia

Covington

$5,600.00

Expanding the Artistic Horizon

Cullman County Schools

Cullman

Cullman

$2,100.00

Introduction to the Symphony

Dance All Productions

Huntsville

Madison

$6,100.00

Girls Like Us and Choreography Programming

Dance Levels

Pinson

Jefferson

$6,000.00

Journey to Africa Cultural Art Street Festival 2024

Dance Levels

Pinson

Jefferson

$8,300.00

Salary Support

Dauphin Island Heritage and
Arts Council

Dauphin Island

Mobile

$6,600.00

Native American Experience

Dauphin Island Heritage and
Arts Council

Dauphin Island

Mobile

$3,600.00

Music Education Program

Decatur Orchestra Sul Ponticello

Decatur

Morgan

$10,700.00

Series of Three Concerts 2024

Desert Island Supply Co.

Birmingham

Jefferson

$13,200.00

Salary Support

East Village Arts

Birmingham

Jefferson

$3,300.00

Salary Support

Eufaula Heritage Association

Eufaula

Barbour

$5,000.00

Music for the 57th Eufaula Pilgrimage

Evalyn Washington Humphrey Foundation for Arts and Education

Huntsville

Madison

$7,100.00

Summer Dance Camp

Evalyn Washington Humphrey Foundation for Arts and Education

Huntsville

Madison

$1,000.00

Professional Development for Teachers

Excelsior Band Preservation

Mobile

Mobile

$5,400.00

The Jazz Studio

Exposure Community Development Corporation

Birmingham

Jefferson

$14,200.00

Salary Support

Fantasy Playhouse Children's Theater

Huntsville

Madison

$4,300.00

Young Playwrights Festival Pilot Program

First Responders Committee of Greene County

Eutaw

Greene

$5,600.00

Revitalizing Hope: Rebuilding Community Resilience in Rural Alabama

Florence-Lauderdale Public Library

Florence

Lauderdale

$3,300.00

Paths & Poetry

Foundation 154

Elba

Coffee

$5,600.00

Gateway Mural

Foundation for Arts and Cultural Connections

Birmingham

Jefferson

$7,100.00

Magic City Art Connection's Imagination Festival

Friends of the Birmingham Public Library

Birmingham

Jefferson

$6,100.00

Art for Everyone Visual Arts Series

Girls Rock Birmingham

Irondale

Jefferson

$7,100.00

Workshops and Summer Programming

GirlSpring

Birmingham

Jefferson

$6,100.00

SHE Camp 2024

GirlSpring

Birmingham

Jefferson

$2,200.00

Syncopated Ladies

Greensboro Opera House

Greensboro

Hale

$3,000.00

Performance Season, Encore 2023

Grove Hill Arts Council

Grove Hill

Clarke

$12,200.00

Building Art Experiences through
Project Leadership

Gulf Coast Saxophone Ensemble

Robertsdale

Baldwin

$6,600.00

Production of Spring 2024 Concerts and Conference Travel

Heritage Hall Museum (Jemison Carnegie Foundation)

Talladega

Talladega

$7,100.00

Arts Camp for Kids 2024

Huntsville Botanical Garden

Huntsville

Madison

$5,100.00

Glass in Flight

Huntsville Community Chorus Association

Huntsville

Madison

$4,400.00

Professional Development and Salary Support

Huntsville Community Drumline

Huntsville

Madison

$13,200.00

Salary Support

Huntsville Hospital Foundation

Huntsville

Madison

$7,100.00

Public Art Exhibits to Promote Better Healthcare Environments

Huntsville Hospital Foundation

Huntsville

Madison

$7,100.00

Music's Healing Effect in a Healthcare Setting

Huntsville Youth Orchestra

Huntsville

Madison

$7,100.00

Tennessee Valley Music Festival 2024: The Music of Friendship

IMPHuntsville

Huntsville

Madison

$5,100.00

Production of "The Color Purple"

Inside Out Studio

Huntsville

Madison

$14,200.00

Salary Support for Staff Positions

Jackson County Board of Education

Scottsboro

Jackson

$7,100.00

Production of "Moana Jr."

Jubilee Community Center

Montgomery

Montgomery

$2,500.00

Make the World Your Stage: A Spectacle of Dances of India

Jubilee Community Center

Montgomery

Montgomery

$13,200.00

Salary Support

Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts Volunteers

Florence

Lauderdale

$7,100.00

Arts Alive 2024

Kentuck Museum Association

Northport

Tuscaloosa

$7,100.00

Creativity Through Clay for All Ages

Klein Arts & Culture

Austin

Travis

$4,800.00

Community Conversations and Dedication of Sculpture

Klein Arts & Culture

Austin

Travis

$7,100.00

Arts-Based Experiential Interpretation at the Wallace House

Little River Arts Council

Mentone

DeKalb

$3,800.00

Summer Music Series 2024

Little River Arts Council

Mentone

DeKalb

$1,900.00

Follow Your Art 2024

Live at the Opera

Dothan

Houston

$7,100.00

Art at The Loop Festival

Live at the Opera

Dothan

Houston

$5,600.00

First Friday Art Crawl

Live at the Opera

Dothan

Houston

$5,600.00

Music at the Loop Festival

Magic City Performing Arts

Shoal Creek

Shelby

$10,700.00

Salary Support

Magic City Poetry Festival

Mountain Brook

Jefferson

$4,500.00

Magic City Poetry Festival 2024

Mentone Educational Resources Foundation

Mentone

DeKalb

$3,300.00

Arts Enrichment at Valley Head School

Mobile Arts Council

Mobile

Mobile

$5,600.00

Production of a Movement Film by Abdiel Figueroa Reyes

Mobile Opera

Mobile

Mobile

$6,100.00

Production of "Le Villi," Puccini's Opera-Ballet

Monroe County Museum

Monroeville

Monroe

$6,600.00

Monroeville Literary Festival 2024

Montgomery Ballet

Montgomery

Montgomery

$12,200.00

Harmonious Movement

Montgomery Ballet

Montgomery

Montgomery

$11,200.00

Empowering Artistic Excellence

Montgomery Public Schools

Montgomery

Montgomery

$10,200.00

Professional Learning Communities within Fine Arts

Nathifa Dance Company & Outreach

Birmingham

Jefferson

$5,100.00

Touring "The Journey of Nathifa"

Oka Kapassa Festival

Tuscumbia

Colbert

$7,100.00

Sharing the Legends

Opelika Community Theatre

Opelika

Lee

$7,100.00

The Penguin Project in East Alabama: Empowering Kids with Special Needs Through Theatre

Opelika Community Theatre

Opelika

Lee

$3,400.00

Youth Dance Workshop for Black History Month

Opera Huntsville

Huntsville

Madison

$7,100.00

Supporting Career Growth

Opera Huntsville

Huntsville

Madison

$7,100.00

Opera Bytes

Opportunity 4 Entertainers & Performing Arts

Mobile

Mobile

$5,100.00

Summer Music Festival of Mobile

Ozark Leisure Services

Ozark

Dale

$5,100.00

Ozark Crawdad and Music Festival 2024

Pike Road Theatre Company

Pike Road

Montgomery

$5,600.00

Salary Support

Pioneer Museum of Alabama

Troy

Pike

$3,500.00

Thunder on the Three Notch 2024

Prattville Creative and Performing Arts Council

Prattville

Autauga

$13,200.00

Arts Celebration Workshops and Events

Project Threadways

Florence

Lauderdale

$11,200.00

Salary Support

Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association

Huntsville

Madison

$4,000.00

Camp Fasola 2024

Sanspointe Dance Company

Birmingham

Jefferson

$5,600.00

In-House: A Choreography and Performance Intensive

Satsuma City Schools

Satsuma

Mobile

$5,000.00

Gator Players present "Beauty and the Beast Jr."

Self Express Productions

Winfield

Marion

$9,100.00

Raising the Barre for Dance Education

Selma Dallas County Historic Preservation Society

Selma

Dallas

$6,600.00

Art Camp 2024

Selma Redevelopment Authority

Selma

Dallas

$4,400.00

Finding Our Way: A Wayfinding Design and Implementation Plan

Shelby County Arts Council

Columbiana

Shelby

$3,400.00

Mural Project "Imagine, Create, and Inspire"

Shoals Storytelling Festival

Florence

Lauderdale

$6,600.00

Festival 2024

Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema

Birmingham

Jefferson

$14,200.00

The 26th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival

Sloss Furnaces Foundation

Birmingham

Jefferson

$9,900.00

Visiting Artist-in-Residence and Collections

Society of Arts & Crafts

Montgomery

Montgomery

$5,600.00

Montgomery Photo Festival 2024

Southeast Alabama Community Theatre

Dothan

Houston

$11,000.00

Performance Series 2024

Southern Danceworks

Birmingham

Jefferson

$5,100.00

Lurks Behind: A Celebration of 60th Anniversary

Space One Eleven

Birmingham

Jefferson

$7,100.00

Summer Art Camps for Children and Youth

Space One Eleven

Birmingham

Jefferson

$6,600.00

Exhibitions: Erin LeAnn Mitchell and Gee's Bend Quilts

St. Vincent's Foundation of Alabama

Birmingham

Jefferson

$5,600.00

Arts in Healing

Sylacauga Area Council on the Arts & Humanities

Sylacauga

Talladega

$6,600.00

Sylacauga Marble Symposium and Cultural Exchange

Tallassee Historical Preservation Society

Tallassee

Elmore

$2,800.00

Tales From the Log Cabin

Terrific New Theatre

Birmingham

Jefferson

$14,200.00

Salary Support

That's My Child

Montgomery

Montgomery

$5,600.00

Art by TMC

The Arts Council of Montgomery

Montgomery

Montgomery

$4,300.00

Artistic Competition for Exceptional Students (ACES)

The Birmingham Folk Festival

Birmingham

Jefferson

$6,600.00

Folk and Traditional Music Performances

The Cohill Foundation

Bessemer

Jefferson

$10,200.00

S.E.L.F. (Self Expression Through Creative Arts)

The Coleman Center for the Arts

York

Sumter

$12,200.00

Salary Support

The Covered Bridge Players

Oneonta

Blount

$6,200.00

Showtime in Downtown Oneonta

The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts

Wetumpka

Elmore

$14,200.00

Salary Support

The Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum Association

Montgomery

Montgomery

$4,500.00

Fitz Tales: The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum Association

Montgomery

Montgomery

$5,100.00

Gatsby Old Sport Podcast: Celebrating 100 Years of The Great Gatsby

The University of Alabama in Huntsville

Huntsville

Madison

$6,100.00

Shakespeare in the Garden 2024, "Romeo and Juliet" and "The Winter's Tale"

The University of Alabama in Huntsville

Huntsville

Madison

$2,100.00

The Afro-Creole Folk Song and the Negro Spiritual

Tri-State Expo Juneteenth Affairs

Cowarts

Houston

$5,700.00

Mural in Dothan, "The Juneteenth Parade"

Tri-State Expo Juneteenth Affairs

Cowarts

Houston

$5,100.00

The Sound of Juneteenth Battle of the Bands

Troy Arts Council

Troy

Pike

$10,200.00

Performance Series 2024

Troy University

Troy

Pike

$3,300.00

Junior Warriors Children's Art Program

Troy University

Troy

Pike

$5,700.00

Diversity Through Art Program

Troy University

Troy

Pike

$5,100.00

Alabama Aloud Season Two

Troy University

Troy

Pike

$1,700.00

Summer Spotlight 2024

Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center

Troy

Pike

$6,800.00

Summer Art Explosion 2024

Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center

Troy

Pike

$3,400.00

Sunshine Art for Seniors 2024

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham

Jefferson

$7,100.00

Aging Creatively

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham

Jefferson

$5,100.00

Exhibition for AEIVA 10th Anniversary Show, Warhol

University of North Alabama

Florence

Lauderdale

$7,100.00

Traveling Exhibition, "The Art of Resistance: Documenting Alabama's Death Row"

University of North Alabama

Florence

Lauderdale

$5,600.00

The Roots of American Music Trail: Oral Histories

University of South Alabama

Mobile

Mobile

$5,900.00

Stokes Center for Creative Writing Visiting Writers’ Series Hosts Percival Everett

University of West Alabama

Livingston

Sumter

$3,600.00

The Sucarnochee Folklife Festival 2024

Valiant Cross Academy

Montgomery

Montgomery

$4,700.00

Art in the Classroom

Valiant Cross Academy

Montgomery

Montgomery

$5,600.00

Theater Program

Vestavia Hills City Schools

Vestavia Hills

Jefferson

$5,300.00

Professional Development for Arts Teachers

Vestavia Hills City Schools

Vestavia Hills

Jefferson

$5,300.00

I am Unique Week: A Celebration of Our Cultural Diversity

Walnut Gallery

Gadsden

Etowah

$12,200.00

Public Arts Project

Wiregrass Blues Society

Dothan

Houston

$7,100.00

Wiregrass Blues Festival

Wiregrass Blues Society

Dothan

Houston

$6,800.00

Blues in Schools

 

TRADITIONAL ARTS APPRENTICESHIPS

Among the grant recipients this year are artists working in craft traditions including quilting, white oak basketry, rangoli, chair caning, piñata making, woodworking, and pottery, along with performance traditions such as Old-time fiddling, Greek folk dancing, hand drumming, and gospel quartet singing.

Name

City

County

Amount

Apprenticeship

Amita Bhakta

Florence

Lauderdale

$3,000.00

Rangoli Apprenticeship

Andrew Kruspe

Huntsville

Madison

$3,000.00

Bodhrán (Irish Frame Drumming) Apprenticeship

Annette Jordan

Eutaw

Greene

$2,000.00

Pine Straw Basket Weaving Apprenticeship

Barry Taylor

Birmingham

Jefferson

$3,000.00

A Cappella Gospel Quartet Singing Apprenticeship

Brenda Powell

Alabaster

Shelby

$2,000.00

Chair Caning Apprenticeship

Cassandra Pettway

Alberta

Wilcox

$3,000.00

Quilting Apprenticeship

Caster Pettway

Alberta

Wilcox

$2,000.00

Quilting Apprenticeship

Charlie Mato-Toyela

Cottonwood

Houston

$3,000.00

Native American Flute Making Apprenticeship

Charlie Tran

Irvington

Mobile

$3,000.00

Lion Dance Apprenticeship

Edy Aguilar

Athens

Limestone

$2,000.00

Piñata Making Apprenticeship

Emma Pettway

Boykin

Wilcox

$3,000.00

Quilting Apprenticeship

Eric Miller

Brent

Bibb

$2,000.00

Pottery Apprenticeship

Gary Waldrep

Albertville

Dekalb

$3,000.00

Old Time Banjo and Fiddle Apprenticeship

Gwen Chafin

Arab

Marshall

$3,000.00

White Oak Basketry and Chair Caning Apprenticeship

Jason Burns

Fultondale

Jefferson

$3,000.00

Lutherie Apprenticeship

Jason Russell

Gadsden

Etowah

$3,000.00

Decoy Carving Apprenticeship

Jemica Williams

Alberta

Wilcox

$3,000.00

Quilting Apprenticeship

Lue I. McCloud

Alberta

Wilcox

$3,000.00

Quilting Apprenticeship

Rania Charalambidou

Montgomery

Montgomery

$3,000.00

Greek Folk Dance Apprenticeship

Robert Haygens

Opp

Covington

$3,000.00

White Oak Basketmaking Apprenticeship

Stella Pettway

Boykin

Wilcox

$2,000.00

Quilting Apprenticeship

Sudha Raghuram

Montgomery

Montgomery

$3,000.00

Classical Dance of India/Kathak Apprenticeship

Veronica Carter

Opelika

Lee

$3,000.00

Quilting Apprenticeship

Wayne Curtis

Mobile

Mobile

$3,000.00

Hand Drumming Apprenticeship

 

The grants above are in response to applications submitted by the September 1, 2023, deadline and support activities taking place between January 1, 2024, and September 30, 2024.

The next grant application deadline is March 1, 2024, for individual artist fellowships and grants for planning, design, and construction of arts facilities. The application portal will open on January 1, 2024. The next deadline for organizations to apply for funding for projects is June 1, 2024, and the application portal will open on April 1, 2024.

For more information on the Alabama State Council on the Arts’ initiatives, visit arts.alabama.gov.

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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.