Georgia Council for the Arts awards grant funding to seventy-two organizations

ATLANTA, July 1, 2014—The Georgia Department of Economic Development's Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) today announced the recipients of its Partner and Project grant funding for fiscal year 2015. Seventy – two organizations throughout the state were collectively awarded approximately $750 thousand in funding for operating support (Partner Grant) or arts projects (Project Grant). Eleven organizations also received support for exceptional arts education programs. Funds awarded by Georgia Council for the Arts include appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. 'This grant cycle presented many difficult decisions due to the overwhelmingly high number of qualified applications we received from strong organizations delivering some of the state's most outstanding arts programs and services,' said GCA executive director Karen Paty. 'These organizations execute extraordinary artistic work that has a significant impact on the communities served and the state as a whole. It is our honor to support the funded institutions' efforts and we look forward to working with them in the coming year.' Georgia Council for the Arts uses Peer Review Panels to adjudicate applications following National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) precedent. Panelists are GCA Council members and fellow professionals who are experienced in the arts discipline or type of grant being reviewed or are citizens with a record of arts activities, experience, and knowledge. Grant recipients include theaters, dance companies, museums, cities, colleges and multi-discipline arts entities. A complete list of 2015 grantees is below:   Partner Grants:   Athens-Clarke County Unified Government Atlanta Ballet, Inc. Atlanta Celebrates Photography Atlanta Contemporary Art Center Atlanta Film Festival Atlanta Opera, The Atlanta Shakespeare Company Atlanta Young Singers of Callanwolde, Inc. Aurora Theatre, Inc. C4 Atlanta INC Callanwolde Foundation, Inc. Center for Puppetry Arts, Inc. Clarkston Community Center, Inc. Flux Projects, Inc. Full Radius Dance Gainesville Theatre Alliance/University of North Georgia Georgia Shakespeare Festival Georgia State University - Rialto Center for the Arts Georgia Symphony Orchestra, Inc. Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art Gwinnett Council for the Arts-Hudgens Center for the Arts Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences Inc, Hammonds House Museum Horizon Theatre Company, Inc. Mercer University-The Grand Opera House Moving in the Spirit Reforming Arts Incorporated Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center- Alliance Theatre Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center- Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center- High Museum Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center-Young Audiences Savannah Music Festival Savannah Philharmonic Corporation Several Dancers Core Springer Opera House Arts Association, Inc. Symphony Augusta Telfair Museum of Art, Inc. The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia Theatrical Outfit Thomasville Cultural Center, Inc. True Colors Theatre Company University of Georgia-Georgia Museum of Art Voices of North Georgia VSA arts of Georgia Inc   Project Grants:   7 Stages Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Art Rise Savannah, Inc. Athens Folk Music and Dance Society, Inc. Atlanta Chinese Dance Company Beacon Dance Company Bent Frequency Inc. Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Carrollton Parks Recreation and Cultural Arts Department City of Toccoa Clayton State University Creative Arts Guild Greater Augusta Arts Council Historic Riverside Cemetery Conservancy Kennesaw State University Out Of Hand Theater Pike Historic Preservation, Inc. Sautee Nacoochee Community Association Savannah Ballet Theatre Serenbe Playhouse South Georgia Ballet, Inc. Steffen Thomas Museum and Archives, Inc. The Columbus Museum, Inc The Essential Theatre, Inc. Theatre du Reve UGA Performing Arts Center Wilcox County Arts Council Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus   About Georgia Council of Arts Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) is a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development whose mission is to cultivate the growth of vibrant, thriving Georgia communities through the arts. GCA provides grant funding, programs and services statewide that support the vital arts industry, preserve the state's cultural heritage, increase tourism and nurture strong communities. Funding for Georgia Council for the Arts is provided by appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.