Over $2.5 million in grants awarded to organizations through Alabama Legislature supported Creative Places Arts Facilities program

MONTGOMERY, Ala., (March 25, 2025) — At its March quarterly meeting in Atmore and Andalusia, Ala., the Alabama State Council on the Arts awarded 64 grants totaling $2,528,000 to nonprofit arts organizations across the state.

Arts and creativity are an economic engine that create jobs in multiple industries, drive tourism, and provide opportunities for young people. The Creative Places Arts Facilities program strengthens Alabama communities by providing grants for the construction, renovation, restoration, or enhancement of facilities where the public can participate in arts programming and education. These investments are possible thanks to an appropriation from the Alabama State Legislature.

Creative Places funding is available in three distinct categories: enhancement grants to fund equipment purchases and upgrades that will improve how cultural assets and works of art are presented, produced, exhibited, and/or preserved; design grants to fund necessary steps to build, renovate, reuse, or restore an arts facility; and construction grants to fund the building of a new facility, substantial renovations of an existing facility, or significant repairs/modifications of existing facilities.

“The Creative Places Arts Facilities program strengthens Alabama communities by investing in critical physical infrastructure and contributes positively to quality of place. These investments will pay dividends for years to come,” said executive director Elliot Knight.

During their time in Atmore, the Council on the Arts board learned more about the community and its arts-related initiatives. Pride of Atmore board member Dale Ash gave a presentation on the renovated Strand Theatre, the Escambia County High School choral ensemble treated the Council to a musical performance under the direction of Conrad Weber, and the meeting concluded with a screening of the documentary Forgotten Creek, moderated by former Poarch Creek Tribal Chairman Eddie Tullis.

On the second day of the quarterly meeting, Council members and staff visited the town of Andalusia, convening at the Church Street Cultural Arts Centre. Meryane Martin-Murphy, director of the Andalusia Ballet, and Michele Gerlach, City Andalusia communications director, welcomed the Council and shared a brief history of the meeting space. Students and company members of the Andalusia Ballet also showcased select dances, concluding with a sneak peek of the Ballet’s upcoming production of Cinderella.    

GRANTEE SPOTLIGHTS

Pride of Atmore – Strand Theatre
Atmore, AL
$25,000 – Enhancement Grant

Since 2021, Pride of Atmore has leveraged the Council’s arts facilities grants to restore and renovate its 100-year-old theater and adjoining hardware store. After opening its doors to the community and successfully producing a season of music, theatre, film, and children’s camps, Strand Theatre is turning toward enhancing the spaces with more accessible features and upgraded equipment for an on-site recording studio.

Foundation 154 – Elba Theatre
Elba, AL
$40,000 – Enhancement Grant

Foundation 154 has utilized design and construction grants to renovate the downtown Elba Theatre into a gathering space for concerts, galas, and other community needs. They are now enhancing their lighting and sound equipment to offer more professional technical needs for music and theatre performances. Utilizing enhancement funding will enable them to bring in more well-known artists.

Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy
Alberta, AL
$80,000 – Construction Grant

This construction project, with support from Brown Studio Architecture, focuses on the adaptive re-use of a former quilt manufacturing building. The facility will undergo roof restoration and receive upgrades to plumbing and HVAC while actualizing work completed under a previous design grant to provide the Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy with an accessible community space for quilting and other arts-based education opportunities.

Southeast Alabama Community Theatre
Dothan, AL
$56,300 – Design Grant

Currently housed in a city-operated property, Southeast Alabama Community Theatre is embarking on a design project for a dedicated facility that will maintain mission-driven theatre programming and community access. This is a proactive step and will allow the organization to efficiently program activities and engage visitors.

Sloss Furnaces Foundation
Birmingham, AL
$40,400 – Design Grant

This design project is the first step in planning a new Metal Arts Center to complement the historic casting shed at Sloss Furnaces. The facility will provide clean, indoor, climate-controlled spaces for wax work, mold making, and ceramic shell processes, along with a modern woodshop, tech lab, and flexible areas for exhibitions, classrooms, and lectures. These spaces will enhance Sloss Metal Arts’ capacity to support artists and expand class offerings, as well as provide a vital resource to creators of all levels exploring metalworking arts. Thoughtfully integrated into the historic site, the new facility will preserve the industrial legacy while meeting modern needs.

GRANT AWARDS

The following Creative Places Arts Facilities grant recipients represent a broad range of arts organizations making long-term investments in their spaces. Several of the following projects reflect a need for necessary maintenance and repairs to Alabama’s arts facilities, including roof repairs, HVAC, and accessibility upgrades. Overall, this essential funding will ensure that the scope of outreach goes beyond the buildings and into the communities served.

The grants above are in response to applications submitted by the December 2, 2024, deadline and support activities to take place between April 1, 2025, and April 1, 2026.

For more information 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.