The Altama Museum of Art & History was awarded a CulturalFacilities grant from Georgia Council for the Arts, a strategic arm of the Georgia Department ofEconomic Development, for fiscal year 2024. The Cultural Facilities grant supports the acquisition, construction, restoration, or renovation of a building to be used for arts programming. As part of this year’s Cultural Facilities awards, 31 entities in 23 counties will receive $1.2 million in funding.
“These grant dollars will allow arts organizations in Georgia to focus on their primary mission to bring art and cultural events to their communities by ensuring their facilities are in good condition,” said Georgia Council for the Arts Director Tina Lilly. “Georgia Council for the Arts is excited to help our arts communities continue to foster economic and cultural vitality by improving their facilities, and we are grateful to the Georgia General Assembly for providing this support to improve quality of life across the state.”
Georgia Council for the Arts received applications from arts organizations from across the state, including performing arts centers, museums, galleries, amphitheaters, and arts classroom spaces. Cultural Facilities grants are available to arts organizations for repairing, preserving, or acquiring an arts facility, or for purchasing equipment.
“It is an honor to put this grant to good use in our community,” stated executive director, Jennifer Martinez. Grant funding will be combined with investments from the greater Vidalia community to
construct a ‘Back Porch Venue’ addition to the rear of The Altama Museum. This new combination stage-porch will support increased programming, including The Altama’s flagship event Vidalia
Porchfest. The space will also be available, along with the rest of the historic 1911 Brazell House, as a unique venue for weddings and other social occasions. “The ‘Back Porch’ will enable us to offer concerts, demonstrations and social events in a safe and pleasant environment that responds to the needs of our patrons and artistic partners,” Mrs. Martinez continues. “We look forward to expanding and diversifying Arts opportunities for The Altama and Toombs County.”
Funding for these grants is provided through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) uses Peer Review Panels to judge and review applications following standard practices set by the National Endowment for the Arts. 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.
