Blue Ridge Community Theater and Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association has received the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDED) Georgia Council for the Arts’ Vibrant Communities grant awards to support programming for fiscal year 2021.
“The Georgia Council for the Arts is proud to continue to support our state’s arts organizations through the distribution of Vibrant Communities and Cultural Facilities grants,” GDED Commissioner Pat Wilson said.
“The arts community needs our support more than ever, and this funding offers immediate assistance in housing and facilitating arts programs that provide meaningful experiences for Georgians.”
The theater and the arts association both received $5,000 each.
The additional funding will aid the theater’s upcoming production of “It’s Time for Laughter: Trouble in the Tropicabana,” while The Art Center will use theirs for the 2021 Blue Ridge Writers’ Conference.
“Our area is rich with creative arts and cultural opportunities, and I am very proud of these organizations and the contributions they make to our community,” said Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston. “These grants demonstrate our continuing commitment to the arts and the opportunities for enrichment and entertainment they provide.”
The Georgia Council for the Arts used peer reviewed panels to judge applications for the grants.
Panels consisted of professionals of the arts discipline or of the type of grant that was reviewed or Georgia citizens involved in the arts.
Georgia’s creative industries have a reported impact on the economy of $62.5 billion, generating approximately $37 billion in revenue and 200,000 jobs in the state, according to Kaleb McMichen, Speaker Ralston’s director of communications.
“A thriving arts community creates thousands of jobs and contributes to a healthy and diverse economy,” Wilson said.