Piedmont University Awarded ‘Vibrant Communities’ Grant from Georgia Council for the Arts

Piedmont University was awarded a $1200 Vibrant Communities Grant from Georgia Council for the Arts, the Georgia Department of Economic Development team specialized in supporting arts and culture, for fiscal year 2025. The Vibrant Communities Grant supports a variety of arts programming throughout the state, including murals, artist residencies and performances in schools, community theater productions, festivals, and concerts. 

As part of this year’s Vibrant Communities awards, 47 entities in 37 counties will receive over $190,890 in funding.

“Thriving arts organizations cultivate vibrant communities, and Georgia Council for the Arts is excited to help our arts organizations provide programming that brings arts education to schools, draws tourists who support local businesses, and breathes new life into downtowns,” said Georgia Council for the Arts Executive Director Tina Lilly. “Investments in the arts provide long-term benefits for organizations and communities and fuel Georgia’s economy, improving quality of life across the state.”  

Georgia Council for the Arts received applications from schools, libraries, cities, historical societies, community theaters, Boys & Girls Clubs, and arts and other related organizations. In an effort to support projects across the state, Vibrant Communities Grants were awarded to entities in counties in which no organization had already received Georgia Council for the Arts funding for the fiscal year 2025 grants cycle. 

“I am thrilled to see our museum offer more programs aimed at kids and families with the support of Georgia Council for the Arts,” said Rebecca Brantley, Director of the Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art.  “This grant will allow us to offer free workshops featuring beloved art educators from our community and builds upon the success of our first Story & Fun hour last month, hosted by United Way and Piedmont First Lady Kimberly Criser. We are very excited for our community to use the space in new ways!”

The Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art will use the grant to host a series of free Family Day Workshops from January to March 2025. These workshops will be led by experienced teaching artists and art educators and will focus on engaging participants with the museum’s exhibitions as they create new works of art. The workshops will be designed for children aged 5-12, though participants of all ages are welcome to attend.

Funding for these grants is provided through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly.