Arts Fund provides $500,000 in critical funding: November 3, 2010

November 3, 2010
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artsfundThe Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund continues its commitment to increasing the resources available to small and midsized arts organizations. Today, the Arts Fund, an initiative of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, announced its second round of grants for 2010 – a total of $500,000 in general operating support to 13 local organizations. This is the second year of increased grants supported through the Atlanta Arts Recovery initiative, a multi-year program launched last year to keep regional Atlanta arts organizations stable as they face unprecedented financial challenges and operating adjustments. The funding announced today and grants awarded in May 2010 provide a total of $1 million to arts organizations this year.

“Arts organizations need to innovate and experiment to survive and thrive. We are pleased to make awards to those organizations that have shown tenacity to be successful,” says Bahnson Stanley, chair of the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund advisory committee. “Although the worst of the economic difficulties may be over, there are still significant and severe financial challenges for arts organizations. The world has changed and it is not a viable option to continue doing the same things they were two years ago,” says Stanley.

In 2009, the Arts Fund provided $1 million in grants to more than 20 arts organizations. Reports from last year’s recipients show that grant dollars have not only kept organizations stabile but have provided them opportunities to strengthen their operations, governance and focus on exciting artistic programming.

  • “Arts Fund financial support allowed Georgia Shakespeare to focus more of its attention on artistic efforts instead of debt. We successfully re-launchedShake at the Lake, our popular free spring production in Piedmont Park.” (Georgia Shakespeare)
  • “The Arts Fund helped make last year an incredible one for us. We made our debut in China and were invited back before we landed in Atlanta. We welcomed new funders to YEA. We had a 35-passenger bus donated. We have two alumni starring in FELA! on Broadway, including Sahr Ngoujah who was nominated for a Tony Award as Féla.” (Youth Ensemble of Atlanta)

“The Arts Fund particularly values arts organizations that are actively programming for growing audiences and are vibrant, visible artistic members of the community,” says Lisa Cremin, director of the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund at The Community Foundation. “We know we are making an impact when we hear that funding has helped arts organizations get past crisis mode,  refocus on their mission and remain committed to their artistic goals,” says Cremin.

The Fall 2010 Arts Fund grant recipients are as follows:



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