Home » Impact of the Arts in Georgia
Georgia communities are successfully using the arts as a part of their local economic development efforts. The creative industries in Georgia represent a combined $37 billion in revenue, including 200,000 employees earning $12.1 billion in wages. Georgia’s creative economy not only contributes to the state’s bottom line, but also draws millions of tourists each year, adds significantly to the quality of life and vitality of every community, and represents the bulk of Georgia’s rich cultural identity. Our thriving creative economy contributes to Georgia being not only an ideal place to do business, but also an incredible place to live and explore.
Community Impact Stories
The Wren’s Nest – Atlanta
By preserving the heritage of African American folklore through storytelling, tours, and student publishing and preserving the legacy of Joel Chandler Harris, the Wren’s Nest serves as a valued educational and cultural resource. The 2017 strategic plan calls for increased…
Atlanta Opera – Atlanta
Funding provided by the Georgia Council for the Arts was allocated to general operating support, the most difficult type of support to secure. GCA funding helped The Atlanta Opera fill critical needs so we could focus more fully on our…
Reforming Arts – Atlanta/Lee Arrendale State Prison
The generous grant we received from the Georgia Council for the Arts has been instrumental in providing the financial assistance necessary for us to do the work of supporting people who are under carceral control in Georgia through arts, education,…
Peeples Elementary School – Fayetteville
Thanks to the GCA grant we received, we were able to bring in many artists and performers who provided quality cultural and artistically rich programming at our week-long event. We were able to bring in quite a few well known…
Paint Love – Atlanta
The support from the generous GCA grant allowed us to accept more partners than we had originally anticipated as well as helped us grow in our goal toward increasing longterm sustainability. We are infinitely grateful for the opportunities the support…
Out of Hand Theatre – Atlanta
The GCA Partner Grant had a hugely positive impact on the implementation of Out of Hand Theater’s programming. Without this funding, we would have had to limit the scope of our projects and serve fewer Georgians. With this grant, we…
Morris Museum – Augusta
Augusta is a better place to live, work, and raise a family thanks to its thriving, growing arts community. None of the things cited above would be possible without the support of the Morris Museum’s members, donors, and sponsors and…
Horizon Theatre Company – Atlanta
Notes from a Horizon Theatre Artist in Residence: “On this particular residency, I had a male student come up to me. Here’s our conversation: HIM: What are we doing? ME: You guys are writing a one-minute play. HIM: About…
Helen Arts & Heritage Council, Inc. – Helen
The grant funding made it possible for the Veterans and AVITA groups to have all the supplies and tools necessary for all planned activities and made it possible to fund the part-time Art Therapy Coordinator position which serves these programs.…
Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts and Sciences – Rabun Gap
We have had a successful partnership with GSU for the past two years via a Distinguished Fellowship offered specifically for a GSU MFA student. Initially, it was envisioned that this Fellowship would benefit a third year MFA student ready to…
Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Council – Brunswick
I can think of no better way to demonstrate the value then by sharing this Facebook post that one of our Artist’s father put up after one of the performances. His son, Broker, has Down syndrome. (And I have his…
Georgia Symphony Orchestra – Marietta
The community primarily served by the Georgia Symphony Orchestra is highly diverse. This diversity is highly valued and as a result, over the past few years, the Georgia Symphony Orchestra has worked to ensure that all programs and events are…
Deep Center – Savannah
Deep this year deepened our partnership with the Chatham County Juvenile Court, which is currently struggling to shift its internal culture and systems to curb the over-sentencing of youth, especially youth of color. Deep operationalized recruitment of court-involved youth, significantly…
CJE Foundation – Sparta
Through the GCA funds, ART in SpARTa: The Sequel was able to engage additional tactics to reach an even broader public. This outreach helped alert our neighboring counties of a burgeoning art community here in rural Hancock County. This grant…
Banks County Public Library – Homer
WE were able to expose the community to a variety of EXCELLENT Georgia artists that they would otherwise not be able to enjoy! I wanted to share this small note with you as well! This made everything worth the time,…
Augusta Mini Theatre – Augusta
The journey of Jalen Frasher. He was born and raised in inner city Augusta, Georgia by his mother. She enrolled him in the Mini Theatre when he was in 3rd grade and stayed through 12th and received and is presently…
Atlanta Shakespeare Company – Atlanta
In July of 2017, it became even clearer how important our Shakespeare Intensive for Teens (SIT) camp is for its social value as much as for the artistic. This year’s happened to include several LGBTQA youth of various identities, only…
Atlanta Chinese Dance – Atlanta
Thank you for your message of choosing love in the face of hate. You are a difference-maker. These words were written by an audience member about our finale, which was a mini dance drama set before, during, and after the…
Athens Folk Music and Dance Society – Athens
The Folk Society Band was performing at an Alzeimer’s Care Facility and there was a woman who was very sick. She looked for all the world like she was sleeping in her seat. We started playing and her eyes opened…
Albany Civil Rights Institute – Albany
In 1961-1962, the eyes of the nation were focused on Albany as the century-long struggle of African Americans in southwest Georgia to claim their civil and human rights came to a head. Assisted by nationally renowned activists from SNCC, SCLC,…
