12/9/2024 10:35:00 AM

Over $1.2 million in grants awarded for Alabama arts projects and traditional arts apprenticeships


MONTGOMERY, Ala., (December 9, 2024) — At its December quarterly meeting in Cullman, Ala., the Alabama State Council on the Arts awarded 198 grants totaling $1,218,500 to 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 27 individuals. Through the Alabama Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program, the Council awards grants to individuals for teaching folk and traditional arts found in the state. It is designed to preserve and pass on these important cultural and community-based traditions through an apprenticeship model.

“The Council on the Arts is proud to serve as a catalyst for artistic programming across our state. This latest round of grants reflects our dedication to fostering a vibrant arts ecosystem and underscores our commitment to investing in the creative future of Alabama,” said executive director Elliot Knight.

During their time in Cullman, the Council on the Arts board learned more about the community and its arts-related initiatives. The Cullman Chamber of Commerce, ‘Visit Cullman’ Tourism Bureau, Cullman Parks & Recreation, and two-time Council Visual Arts Fellow Gary Chapman gave presentations during the two-day meeting. Council members and staff also toured the Ave Maria Grotto at St. Bernard Abbey. The historic Grotto received a Council on the Arts grant in 2022 to assist with the restoration of some of the handcrafted miniatures in this unique art environment as well as updating safety barriers. Additional grant funding was awarded in 2024 to address treatments needed to these one-of-a-kind sculptures on the grounds.

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 activation of festivals, exhibitions, artist residencies, theatrical productions, workshops, public art, and more, 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

$4,200

Dance Africa 2025

Alabama Barn Quilt Trail

Killen

Lauderdale

$9,600

Modernizing the Alabama Barn Quilt Trail

Alabama Blues Project

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

$6,600

Alabama Blues Productions - Advanced Student Band

Alabama Blues Project

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

$5,800

Salary Support

Alabama Contemporary Art Center

Mobile

Mobile

$6,600

Bout It Bout It: Community Residencies and Portrait Series

Alabama Dance Council

Birmingham

Jefferson

$6,600

IMPACT: All the Feels II

Alabama Dance Council

Birmingham

Jefferson

$6,100

Spectra Series at Sloss Furnaces

Alabama Dance Theatre

Montgomery

Montgomery

$4,100

Enriching Our Community Through Dance

Alabama Institute for Education in the Arts

Montgomery

Montgomery

$11,600

Summer Institute 2025

Alabama Institute for Education in the Arts

Montgomery

Montgomery

$8,400

Summer Institute 2025 Administrative Support

Alabama International Education and Economic Partnership (A-IEEP)

Montgomery

Montgomery

$5,100

Scripts and Lettering: The Artistry of Calligraphy

Alabama Orchestra Association

Dothan

Houston

$6,100

Alabama All-State Orchestra Festival 2025

Alabama Repertory Theatre Company

Attalla

Etowah

$5,100

Production of "Disney's Descendants: The Musical"

Alabama Visual Arts Network

Vestavia Hills

Jefferson

$5,800

40th Anniversary Alabama Clay Conference

All Things Africatown

Prichard

Mobile

$12,600

Festival of the Arts and Culture

Andalusia Ballet Association

Andalusia

Covington

$12,600

Spring Into Dance

Art in Public Places

Dothan

Houston

$6,600

The Loop Art Festival

Art in Public Places

Dothan

Houston

$5,100

Art Outside

Arts Huntsville

Huntsville

Madison

$2,100

Arts for All: Community Conversations

ArtsRevive

Selma

Dallas

$12,600

Salary Support

Auburn Area Community Theatre

Auburn

Lee

$3,800

2025 Season Productions

Ave Maria Grotto

Cullman

Cullman

$1,600

Giza Pyramid Restoration at Grotto

Azalea City Center for the Arts

Mobile

Mobile

$5,100

Broadway Master Class Weekend 2025

Azalea City Center for the Arts

Mobile

Mobile

$5,000

Mobile Area School Theater Productions

Ballyhoo Festival of Fine Art and Culture

Gulf Shores

Baldwin

$9,600

Salary Support

BAMA Kids

Camden

Wilcox

$7,100

Broadway Comes to the Black Belt 2025

Bib & Tucker Sew-Op

Birmingham

Jefferson

$4,800

Building Sewing Skills for Youth Stitch by Stitch

Birmingham Art Music Alliance

Birmingham

Jefferson

$1,500

Vuorovesi Trio

Birmingham Chamber Music Society

Mountain Brook

Jefferson

$12,500

Spring Concerts and Outreach Events 2025

Birmingham Children's Theatre

Birmingham

Jefferson

$5,600

Free Summer Theatre in the Parks

Birmingham Folk Festival

Birmingham

Jefferson

$6,500

Unite Alabama Through Folk Arts

Brass Band of Huntsville

Huntsville

Madison

$6,400

Community Performances and Educational Activities

Camp McDowell

Nauvoo

Walker

$13,600

Folk School Salary Support

Carnegie Visual Arts Center

Decatur

Morgan

$3,200

Salary Support

Central Alabama Caribbean American Organization

Birmingham

Jefferson

$6,600

Marvel City Caribbean Food and Music Festival

Choctaw County Arts Council

Butler

Choctaw

$11,300

Children's Arts Education Project

City of Auburn

Auburn

Lee

$6,100

Adventures in art "Muscle Shoals"

City of Center Point

Center Point

Jefferson

$7,000

Jump Start Art

City of Dothan

Dothan

Houston

$4,600

Community Concert Series

City of Florence Department of Parks and Recreation

Florence

Lauderdale

$3,700

Stars and Guitars Festival

City of Oxford

Oxford

Calhoun

$7,100

Rubato International Piano Competition 2025

City of Thorsby

Thorsby

Chilton

$2,500

Chilton County Strawberry Festival

City of Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

$5,200

Harvesting Heritage: Celebrating Alabama’s Culture Through Music at the Tuscaloosa River Market

City of Winfield - Pastime Theatre

Winfield

Marion

$12,600

2025 Concert Season

ClefWorks

Montgomery

Montgomery

$2,200

Classroom Concert Series

Cloverdale Playhouse

Montgomery

Montgomery

$12,600

2025 Mainstage Season

Cohill Foundation

Bessemer

Jefferson

$12,600

S.E.L.F. (Self-Expression Learning Fundamentals)

Coleman Center for the Arts

York

Sumter

$12,600

Salary Support

Coleman Center for the Arts

York

Sumter

$2,500

The Creative Well Studio Lab

Community Actors Studio Theatre

Anniston

Calhoun

$5,000

Mainstage Season - Spring 2025

Community Foundation of West Alabama

Northport

Tuscaloosa

$3,800

Southeast Fiddle Championship

Compelling Stories of the Southeast

Tuscumbia

Colbert

$4,600

Return Walk of Life

Dale County Council of the Arts & Humanities

Ozark

Dale

$1,000

Annual Regional Art Exhibition 2025

Dance All Productions

Huntsville

Madison

$6,400

Salary Support

Dance Levels

Pinson

Jefferson

$8,200

J2A and Cultural Arts Street Festival 2025

Decatur Orchestra Sul Ponticello

Decatur

Morgan

$8,600

A Series of Three Classical Concerts

Desert Island Supply Co.

Birmingham

Jefferson

$12,600

Salary Support

Dream Weavers Children's Theatre

Decatur

Morgan

$1,300

Production of "Disney's 101 Dalmatians KIDS"

Dream Weavers Children's Theatre

Decatur

Morgan

$2,500

Production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats"

DRUM The Program

Montevallo

Shelby

$5,400

DRUM The Program 6th Annual Juneteenth Youth Summer Camp

Eufaula Heritage Association

Eufaula

Barbour

$3,700

Music for the 58th Eufaula Pilgrimage

Evalyn Washington Humphrey Foundation for Arts and Education

Huntsville

Madison

$9,100

Capacity Building Through Staffing and Technology

Excelsior Band Preservation

Mobile

Mobile

$4,600

The Jazz Studio

Exposure Community Development Corporation

Birmingham

Jefferson

$9,600

Salary Support

Files Arts Project

Birmingham

Jefferson

$12,600

Arts Workshops and Showcase 2025

Firehouse Community Arts Center

Birmingham

Jefferson

$3,700

Music Mondays

Firehouse Community Arts Center

Birmingham

Jefferson

$11,600

Salary Support

Firehouse Community Arts Center

Birmingham

Jefferson

$8,500

Community Arts Program Series

First Responders Committee of Greene County

Eutaw

Greene

$6,100

New Year's Resolution: Celebrating the Elderly

Floretta P. Carson Visual and Performing Arts Academy

Mobile

Mobile

$8,600

Spring Student Showcase

Foundation for Arts and Cultural Connections

Birmingham

Jefferson

$5,600

Imagination Festival @ Magic City Art Connection

Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy

Alberta

Wilcox

$5,600

The Quilt at the End of the World

Friends of the Birmingham Public Library

Birmingham

Jefferson

$9,600

Art for Everyone Visual Arts Series 2025

Girls Rock Birmingham

Homewood

Jefferson

$6,100

Girls Rock Birmingham Workshops and Summer Camp

GirlSpring, Inc.

Birmingham

Jefferson

$3,700

Poetry Contest 2025

GirlSpring, Inc.

Birmingham

Jefferson

$5,100

SHE Camp 2025

Grove Hill Arts Council

Grove Hill

Clarke

$9,600

Art Leadership in Rural Community Arts Center 2025

Heritage Hall Museum (Jemison Carnegie Foundation)

Talladega

Talladega

$5,100

Arts Camp for Kids 2025

Heritage Hall Museum (Jemison Carnegie Foundation)

Talladega

Talladega

$7,000

Exhibits: Tradition to Innovation and Local Artist Showcase

Homewood Theatre

Birmingham

Jefferson

$5,000

Student Musical in the Park

Huntsville Botanical Garden

Huntsville

Madison

$11,600

Mother Earth Troll Garden

Huntsville Hospital Foundation

Huntsville

Madison

$5,100

Transforming Spaces, Touching Lives: Art's Healing Effect

Huntsville Hospital Foundation

Huntsville

Madison

$6,600

Healing in Harmony: Expanding the Reach and Resonance of Music Therapy

Huntsville Youth Orchestra

Huntsville

Madison

$6,600

Tennessee Valley Music Festival 2025: Legends

IMPHuntsville

Huntsville

Madison

$9,600

Productions of "Rocket Boys" and "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical"

Institute of Intercultural Studies: Dance Arts, History, Culture

Birmingham

Jefferson

$6,000

African Diaspora Dance Performances 2025

InToto Creative Arts Forum

Birmingham

Jefferson

$12,600

Salary Support

Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville

Calhoun

$6,500

Jax State Kaleidoscope 2025

Jasper Main Street

Jasper

Walker

$6,100

Sculptures for Jasper Sculpture Trail

Jubilee Community Center

Montgomery

Montgomery

$2,500

Ramayana, A Showcase of Indian Classical Dances

Judah School of Worship and Fine Arts

McCalla

Jefferson

$1,500

The Creative Arts Leadership and Legacy Dance Conference

Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts Volunteers

Florence

Lauderdale

$5,100

Arts Alive 2025

King's Canvas Gallery and Studio

Montgomery

Montgomery

$5,100

Montgomery Artist's Pop-Up Exhibition - Creative Placemaking Conference 2025

Leeds Arts Council

Leeds

Jefferson

$10,600

Small Town Spotlight: A Production Season for All Ages

Levite Jewish Community Center

Birmingham

Jefferson

$4,600

LJCC Theater

Little River Arts Council

Mentone

DeKalb

$3,800

Summer Music Series 2025

Little River Arts Council

Mentone

DeKalb

$1,400

Follow Your Art 2025 

Live at the Opera

Dothan

Houston

$6,200

Music for the Loop Festival 2025

Magic City Performing Arts

Shoal Creek

Shelby

$12,600

Salary Support

Magic City Poetry Festival

Mountain Brook

Jefferson

$3,000

Magic City Poetry Festival 2025

Magic City Smooth Jazz

Birmingham

Jefferson

$9,600

Jazz in the Park 2025: The Legacy Series

Maitland Arts Initiative

Huntsville

Madison

$6,600

Filmmaking, Broadcasting, and Podcasting Program at Huntsville College Preparatory School

Maitland Arts Initiative

Huntsville

Madison

$12,600

Administration Support for Modern Arts Technology Programming

Marion County Board of Education

Hamilton

Marion

$12,600

Building Community Through a Collaborative Theatre Production

Meals On Wheels Montgomery AL Metro Area

Montgomery

Montgomery

$5,600

Mural Project

Mobile Opera

Mobile

Mobile

$3,500

A Portrait of Three, a Movement Film

Monroe County Museum

Monroeville

Monroe

$7,100

Monroeville Literary Festival 2025

Montgomery Ballet

Montgomery

Montgomery

$12,600

Enhancing Operational Capacity of Montgomery Ballet

Montgomery Ballet

Montgomery

Montgomery

$12,600

Expanding Ballet Performances Across Alabama

Mountain Valley Arts Council

Guntersville

Marshall

$3,000

Concert Series

Nathifa Dance Company & Outreach

Birmingham

Jefferson

$8,600

Birmingham African & African American Dance & Drum Expo

Oka Kapassa Festival

Tuscumbia

Colbert

$6,100

Sharing The Legends

Opportunity 4 Entertainers & Performing Arts

Mobile

Mobile

$11,600

Mobile’s Musical Summer Series

Ozark Leisure Services

Ozark

Dale

$4,400

Ozark Crawdad and Music Festival 2025

Pelham BEAT

Pelham

Shelby

$4,600

Dinner Theatre Series 2025

Pioneer Museum of Alabama

Troy

Pike

$2,800

Thunder on the Three Notch

Prattville Creative and Performing Arts Council

Prattville

Autauga

$12,600

Prattville Celebration of the Arts: Workshops and Events

Red Mountain Makers

Birmingham

Jefferson

$4,100

Wood Arts

Redemption Town Partners

Scottsboro

Jackson

$6,600

Pictures of Hope

Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association

Huntsville

Madison

$4,000

Camp Fasola

Sanspointe Dance Company

Birmingham

Jefferson

$5,600

Guest House: A Choreography and Performance Project

Self Express Productions

Winfield

Marion

$3,400

Reading Takes Center Stage

Selma Dallas County Historic Preservation Society

Selma

Dallas

$5,600

Art Camp 2025

Shoals Storytelling Festival

Florence

Lauderdale

$5,100

Shoals Storytelling Festival 2025

Shoals Symphony Orchestra

Florence

Lauderdale

$5,100

The Lion King in Concert 2025

Sloss Furnaces Foundation

Birmingham

Jefferson

$8,700

National Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art - Workshops and Education

Sloss Furnaces Foundation

Birmingham

Jefferson

$5,300

Visiting Artist Residency

Sound Wall Music Initiative

Opelika

Lee

$9,500

Unleashing Alabama’s Sound: Empowering Alabama through Music

Sound Wall Music Initiative

Opelika

Lee

$6,100

Opelika Songwriters Festival: Celebrating Stories Through Song

Southern Danceworks

Birmingham

Jefferson

$6,600

Lurks Behind 2025

Southern Fried Film Festival

Huntsville

Madison

$5,100

Annual Film Festival

Southern Fried Film Festival

Huntsville

Madison

$12,600

Administrative Support for Film Festival

Studio By The Tracks

Irondale

Jefferson

$12,500

Artist-In-Residency Program

Studio By The Tracks

Irondale

Jefferson

$9,600

Salary Support

Sylacauga Area Council on the Arts & Humanities

Sylacauga

Talladega

$6,100

Sylacauga's Marble Sculpting Symposium/Cultural Exchange

Tennessee Valley Arts Association

Florence

Lauderdale

$4,900

Artist Retreat for Indian American Artists Association

The House Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

$2,300

Rose's Leadership Academy Arts Programming

The House Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

$3,600

Girl Power Book Club

The March Quilts

Birmingham

Jefferson

$8,400

Filming and Documenting 10 Years of The March Quilts

Tombigbee Healthcare Authority Foundation

Demopolis

Marengo

$4,600

Providing Art Therapy for Behavioral Health Patients at Whitfield Regional Hospital

Tri-State Community Orchestra

Dothan

Houston

$2,300

Strings Across the Wiregrass 2025

Tri-State Expo Juneteenth Affairs

Cowarts

Houston

$9,600

Salary Support

Tri-State Expo Juneteenth Affairs

Cowarts

Houston

$11,600

Juneteenth: A Celebration Through the Arts

Troy Arts Council

Troy

Pike

$11,100

Annual Arts and Performance Series for the City of Troy and Pike County

Troy City Schools

Troy

Pike

$11,600

Music Curriculum Support

Troy University

Troy

Pike

$6,100

Alabama Aloud with Don Noble Season 3

Troy University

Troy

Pike

$3,700

Junior Warriors - Children's Art and Culture Program

Troy University

Troy

Pike

$5,100

Fall Arts Series - Winter Rusiloski and Angel Fernandez Exhibition

TroyFest Foundation

Troy

Pike

$6,600

Downtown Troy Art Invasion 2025

Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center

Troy

Pike

$6,100

Summer Art Explosion

Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center

Troy

Pike

$3,700

Sunshine Seniors 2025

Tuscaloosa City Schools

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

$8,600

From Classroom to Concert: Elevating Young Musicians Through Expert Collaboration

Tuscaloosa County Schools

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

$12,300

Making Tuscaloosa Beautiful: Bridging Literacy and the Power of the Arts

Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

$8,700

Collaboration with Tuscaloosa Area Schools

Tuskegee Repertory Theatre

Tuskegee

Macon

$3,300

Booker T's Towns, a Tuskegee Legacy Production

Two Rivers Arts Council

Demopolis

Demopolis

$4,200

Main Street Demopolis Mural

University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

$5,600

The Paul R. Jones Museum Exhibition: Taj Matumbi

University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

$6,600

Moods of Dotts Johnson in Song

University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

$2,100

New Voices Theatre Festival

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham

Jefferson

$5,600

Kate Meissner Exhibition

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham

Jefferson

$6,600

Aging Creatively

University of Alabama in Huntsville

Huntsville

Madison

$3,300

Spring Constellation Series

University of Alabama in Huntsville

Huntsville

Madison

$4,600

Shakespeare in the Garden 2025: "Macbeth" and "The Comedy of Errors"

Valiant Cross Academy

Montgomery

Montgomery

$3,400

Murals for Valiant Cross Academy

Wallace Center for Arts and Reconciliation

Harpersville

Shelby

$6,600

Creative Aging through Poetry and Art

Wallace Center for Arts and Reconciliation

Harpersville

Shelby

$5,300

Juneteenth Music and Arts Festival:  A Partnership with the Town of Harpersville

Wetumpka Depot Players

Wetumpka

Elmore

$9,600

45th Season Productions

Winfield Main Street Program

Winfield

Winfield

$8,600

Salary Support

Wiregrass Blues Society

Dothan

Houston

$6,100

Wiregrass Blues Fest

Wiregrass Blues Society

Dothan

Houston

$6,100

Blues in Schools

Wiregrass Museum of Art

Dothan

Houston

$5,100

Art & Design Challenge II

 

TRADITIONAL ARTS APPRENTICESHIPS

Among the grant recipients this year are artists working in craft traditions including quilting, pine straw basket weaving, piñata making, lutherie, and pottery, along with performance traditions such as Bluegrass and old-time fiddling, Bodhrán (Irish frame drumming), Greek folk dancing, and Kathak (Indian classical dancing).

Name

City

County

Amount

Apprenticeship

Amita Bhakta

Florence

Lauderdale

$2,000

Rangoli

Andrew Kruspe

Huntsville

Madison

$3,000

Bodhrán (Irish Frame Drumming)

Annette Jordan

Eutaw

Greene

$2,000

Pine Straw Basket Weaving

Brenda Powell

Alabaster

Shelby

$3,000

Chair Caning

Cassandra Pettway

Alberta

Wilcox

$3,000

Quilting

Cathy Mooney

Birmingham

Jefferson

$2,000

Quilting

Charlie Mato-Toyela

Cottonwood

Houston

$3,000

Native American Flute Making

Edy Aguilar

Athens

Limestone

$2,000

Piñata Making

Edwina Pettway

Harvest

Madison

$2,000

Quilting

Emma Pettway

Boykin

Wilcox

$3,000

Quilting

Estelle Jackson

Demopolis

Marengo

$3,000

White Oak Basketmaking

Gary Waldrep

Albertville

Marshall

$3,000

Old Time Fiddle Music & Bluegrass

Hendon Eric Miller

Brent

Bibb

$2,000

Pottery Apprenticeship

Jason Burns

Fultondale

Jefferson

$3,000

Musical Instrument Building & Repair

Jason Russell

Gadsden

Etowah

$3,000

Traditional Decoy Carving

Jemica Williams

Alberta

Wilcox

$2,000

Quilting

Lue McCloud

Alberta

Wilcox

$2,000

Quilting

Marlene Bennett Jones

Boykin

Wilcox

$3,000

Quilting

Mitchell Buchanan

Alabaster

Shelby

$3,000

Luthiery

Rania Charalambidou

Montgomery

Montgomery

$3,000

Greek Folk Dance

Robert Haygens

Opp

Covington

$3,000

White Oak Basketmaking

Sally Mixon

Huntsville

Madison

$2,000

Quilting

Sherry Burkhalter

Newville

Henry

$3,000

Quilting

Stella Pettway

Boykin

Wilcox

$3,000

Quilting

Sudha Raghuram

Montgomery

Montgomery

$3,000

Kathak (Indian Classical Dance)

Veronica Renee Carter

Opelika

Lee

$2,000

Quilting

Wayne Curtis

Mobile

Mobile

$3,000

Hand Drumming


The grants above are in response to applications submitted by the September 3, 2024, deadline and support activities taking place between January 1, 2025, and September 30, 2025.

The next grant application deadline is March 1, 2025, for individual artist fellowships. The application portal will open on January 1, 2025. Organizations can apply for funding for projects beginning April 1, 2025.

For more information and to stay up to date on the Alabama State Council on the Arts, 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.