Alabama State Council on the Arts awards more than $2.5 million in statewide grants
The Alabama State Council on the Arts has awarded 64 grants totaling $2,528,000 to nonprofit arts organizations across the state.
The grants are through the Creative Places Arts Facilities Program. It provides grants for the construction, renovation, restoration or enhancement of facilities where the public can participate in arts programming and education. These investments are through an appropriation from the Alabama 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.
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.
| Organization | City | Amount | Project | Grant Type |
| Alabama Ballet | Birmingham | $39,400 | Main Studio Floor Renovation | Construction |
| Alabama Contemporary Art Center | Mobile | $80,000 | Development of Satellite Location | Construction |
| American Theatre of BEing |
Montgomery | $35,000 | Film and Television Training Production Studio |
Enhancement |
| Arts Council of the Trussville Area (ACTA) Theatre |
Trussville | $100,000 | Lighting System Upgrades | Construction |
| Arts Council of Tuscaloosa | Tuscaloosa | $14,400 | Historic Bama Theatre Stage Enhancements | Enhancement |
| Arts Huntsville | Huntsville | $80,000 | Sandra Moon Performing Arts Center Stage Grid Refurbishment | Construction |
| ArtsRevive | Selma | $47,200 | Renovation of Existing Facilities | Construction |
| Auburn Area Community Theatre | Auburn | $40,000 | Tiered Risers for Audience Seating | Enhancement |
| Azalea City Center for the Arts |
Mobile | $18,500 | Performance Space, Restroom, & Hallway Renovations |
Construction |
| Birmingham Children’s Theatre | Birmingham | $40,000 | Lighting & Sound Systems Upgrades | Enhancement |
| Camp McDowell | Nauvoo | $38,900 | Art Studio Upgrades | Enhancement |
| Cloverdale Playhouse | Montgomery | $5,600 | Roof Replacement | Construction |
| Coleman Center for the Arts |
York | $70,000 | Artist-in-Residence Facilities Construction | Construction |
| Collinsville Historical Association | Collinsville | $27,000 | Cricket Theatre Upgrades & Enhancements | Enhancement |
| Dale County Council of Art and Humanities |
Ozark | $9,900 | Dowling Museum and Rudd Art Center Repairs | Construction |
| Eastern Shore Art Association | Fairhope | $50,000 | ADA Compliant Renovations | Construction |
| Eastern Shore Repertory Theatre | Fairhope | $49,900 | Nicholson Center for the Arts Revitalization | Construction |
| Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater | Huntsville | $80,000 | Renovation of and Relocation to Merrimack Hall | Construction |
| Firehouse Community Arts Center |
Birmingham | $11,600 | Window and Facade Repairs | Construction |
| Foundation 154 | Elba | $40,000 | Elba Theatre Audio System Upgrades | Enhancement |
| Franklin County Arts and Humanities Council |
Russellville | $30,000 | Historic Roxy Theatre Restoration and Updates |
Enhancement |
| Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy | Alberta | $80,000 | Adaptive Reuse Project Construction | Construction |
| Friends of Martin Theater | Eufaula | $75,000 | Structural Stabilization and Repairs | Construction |
| Friends of the Birmingham Public Library |
Birmingham | $39,900 | Event and Gallery Space Enhancements | Enhancement |
| Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation | Gadsden | $51,600 | Music Center at Temple Beth Israel Roof Replacement |
Construction |
| Gadsden Museum of Art | Gadsden | $50,000 | Fire Escape Installation | Construction |
| Georgiana Opry House | Georgiana | $20,800 | Roof Repair | Construction |
| Homewood Theatre | Homewood | $12,000 | Sound and Lighting Enhancements | Enhancement |
| Huntsville Community Drumline | Huntsville | $35,000 | Renovations and Accessibility Improvements | Construction |
| Joe Jefferson Players | Mobile | $32,500 | Lighting System Enhancements | Enhancement |
| Jubilee Community Center | Montgomery | $20,000 | Sound and Audiovisual Systems Upgrades | Enhancement |
| Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts |
Wetumpka | $32,200 | Development of Green Space | Construction |
| Kentuck Museum Association | Northport | $30,000 | Queen City Pool House Enhancements | Enhancement |
| Leeds Arts Council | Leeds | $20,000 | Lighting and Air System Upgrades | Enhancement |
| Little River Arts Council | Mentone | $20,000 | Construction of Public-Access Arts Studio | Construction |
| Maitland Arts Initiative | Huntsville | $28,000 | MidCity Creative Education and Opportunity Center | Enhancement |
| Mentone Arts and Culture Center | Mentone | $10,000 | Lighting and Air System Upgrades | Enhancement |
| Mobile Ballet | Mobile | $14,900 | Studio Facility HVAC System Improvements | Construction |
| Montevallo Arts Collaborative | Montevallo | $11,400 | Orr Park Outdoor Stage | Construction |
| Montgomery Ballet | Montgomery | $35,000 | Community Arts Studio and Theater Development | Construction |
| Opelika Auburn Film Arts Collective |
Auburn | $40,000 | Equipment Upgrades for Boxcar Theater Space |
Enhancement |
| Opelika Community Theatre | Opelika | $32,500 | Equipment and Staging Upgrades | Enhancement |
| Playhouse in the Park | Mobile | $25,900 | Lighting, Sound, and Equipment Upgrades | Enhancement |
| Pride of Atmore | Atmore | $25,000 | Electrical/Sound & Recording Studio Enhancements | Enhancement |
| Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts |
Decatur | $75,000 | Lighting and Technical Equipment Upgrades | Enhancement |
| Project Threadways | Florence | $80,000 | Shoals Maker Lab and Community Space | Construction |
| Red Mountain Makers | Birmingham | $40,000 | Continuing Renovation and Expansion | Construction |
| Red Thread Development | Birmingham | $48,800 | Marc Steel Community Center | Design |
| Shelby County Arts Council | Columbiana | $19,800 | Replacement and Enhancement of Program Equipment |
Enhancement |
| Shoals Theatre | Florence | $43,000 | Roof Replacement | Construction |
| Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema | Birmingham | $60,000 | Expansion of the Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema | Design |
| Sloss Furnaces Foundation | Birmingham | $40,400 | Development of Metal Arts Education Center | Design |
| Sound Wall Music Initiative | Opelika | $6,900 | Sound, Audio, Lighting, and Seating Upgrades | Enhancement |
| South City Theatre | Pelham | $22,300 | Improvements and Additions to Sound Equipment |
Enhancement |
| Southeast Alabama Community Theatre | Dothan | $56,300 | Operations & Performance Facility Design | Design |
| Space One Eleven | Birmingham | $40,000 | Flooring and Lighting Upgrades | Enhancement |
| Tennessee Valley Art Association | Tuscumbia | $25,900 | Lighting Upgrades for Exhibitions | Enhancement |
| The Holland Project | Bessemer | $56,300 | Lincoln Theatre Renovation | Design |
| Theatre Tuscaloosa | Tuscaloosa | $30,000 | Lighting Updates and Upgrades | Enhancement |
| Tri-State Expo Juneteenth Affairs | Cowarts | $49,200 | Juneteenth & African American Arts Museum and Repository | Design |
| Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center | Troy | $32,500 | Improvement of Staging and Acoustics | Enhancement |
| Virginia Samford Theatre | Birmingham | $37,500 | Technical Upgrades and Enhancement | Enhancement |
| Wallace Center for Arts and Reconciliation |
Harpersville | $80,000 | Climate Control and Grounds Development | Construction |
| Wetumpka Depot Players | Wetumpka | $35,000 | Roof Replacement | Construction |
The Council on the Arts is the official state agency for the support and development of the arts in Alabama. 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.
— Information from Alabama State Council on the Arts
