Earlier this week, National Endowments for the Arts (NEA) announced award recipients of their Art Works grants. Seventeen Georgia arts organizations were awarded a combined total of $420,000 to support the creation of art that meets the highest standard of excellence, engages the public in various ways, creates a lifelong learning in the arts, and strengthens communities through the arts. Receipt of these highly competitive funds is an endorsement of the artistic quality, professionalism and local community connections fostered by the programs offered by these institutions. Further, the sheer number of grants awarded in our state cultivates the identity of Georgia as a state with a thriving arts and culture community worthy of exploration.

Comprised of all not-for profit and for profit arts related businesses, the creative industries in Georgia represent nearly 5 percent of the state’s employment and $29 billion in annual revenue. As part of the state’s overall economic development portfolio, these numbers show the significant importance of Georgia’s creative industry. The Art Works grants awarded to these 17 organizations will provide tremendous support for programs which will contribute to the rich cultural fabric of our state, supporting a better quality of life and economic vitality. We extend our most sincere congratulations to the grant recipients as well as our gratitude for their contributions to the arts in Georgia.

Number of Grants: 17 Total Dollar Amount: $420,000 

Albany State University 

To support an artist residency featuring the women’s a cappella ensemble, Sweet Honey in the Rock.

Art Papers, Inc.

To support “Art Papers” print, online, and public lecture series. Project activities will include the publication of as many as six issues of “Art Papers” magazine, a bi-monthly arts and culture publication produced in Atlanta covering the global art world.

Atlanta Ballet, Inc.

To support the presentation of “Cacti,” by Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman.

Atlanta Opera

To support a new production of Verdi’s “Rigoletto.”

Morehouse College

To support the commissioning and performance of a new work for trumpet and orchestra by American composer James Oliverio. The composer will be in residence at Morehouse College to create the new concerto in honor of the life’s work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, Inc. 

To support “The Working Artist Project” exhibition series. This residency program provides established Georgia artists with a stipend, a studio apprentice, a solo exhibition, and a full-color catalogue. Artists are selected by a committee of curators from the region.

Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center, Inc. (on behalf of High Museum of Art) 

To support the exhibition “Alex Katz: This is Now.” The exhibition will feature works by Katz (b.1927) painted over the past three decades that reveal his consistency, clarity, and vision through the confluence of two dominant themes in his work, the figure and the landscape.

Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center, Inc. (on behalf of Alliance Theatre) 

To support the world premiere of “C.A. Lyons Project” by Tsehaye Geralyn Hebert; the winning play in the Alliance Theatre’s National Graduate Playwriting Competition. 

Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center, Inc. (on behalf of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra) 

To support a commissioning and performance project of a new work by composer Christopher Theofanidis to celebrate Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s 70th anniversary.

Seven Stages, Inc. 

To support the world premiere of “The Breakers,” a new work written and directed by Michael Haverty.

True Colors Theatre Company, Inc. 

To support a production of “Detroit ’67,” a new play by Dominique Morisseau. The work is set against the backdrop of the 1967 Detroit riots, and tells the story of a brother and sister and a mysterious visitor in their home.

Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, Inc. 

To support a theatrical production by the Jerry Habima Theatre program featuring actors with disabilities. The novice actors with disabilities will work with professional actors, designers, and directors from the Atlanta area.

Georgia College & State University 

To support dance performances about the origins of hip-hop, tracings its roots to African, Afro-Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, and Puerto Rican cultures, with associated workshops.

Atlanta Chinese Dance Company 

To support the production and performance of an original Chinese dance production exploring Chinese beliefs and traditions, with related public outreach activities.

Savannah Music Festival, Inc. 

To support the annual Savannah Music Festival. The festival will feature hundreds of international artists in diverse programming, including chamber and symphonic music, blues, jazz, and world music.

Telfair Museum of Art, Inc. 

To support PULSE Art + Technology Festival. PULSE, a fusion between a museum exhibition and an art festival, will feature artists from around the world, inviting them to teach workshops, give public demonstrations, and create installations converting the museum into an immersive environment of digital interaction.

Statesboro Arts Council 

To support an artist residency and related educational and public programs featuring visual artist George Snyder.