Local Foundation Wins State Art Grant

The famed folk art site in Pennville received a grant from the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA).

The Paradise Garden Foundation learned Monday it was one of the 132 recipients of the Partner, Project and Arts Education grants for fiscal year 2019. The local foundation will share more than $1 million in funding.

Funds awarded by Georgia Council for the Arts include appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.

“Georgia is home to a dynamic arts and culture community and the work done by artists and arts organizations across the state fuels the cultural identity and vitality of communities of all sizes and in all regions of Georgia,” said Karen Paty, executive director of Georgia Council for the Arts. “Each of the artistic programs we reviewed were extraordinary, and while we are unable to fund each one, the impact of the work we have been able to support is far-reaching, providing access to the arts and spurring economic activity throughout our state.”

Georgia Council for the Arts uses Peer Review Panels to adjudicate applications following National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) precedent. Panelists are GCA Council members and fellow professionals who are experienced in the arts discipline, familiar with the type of grant being reviewed, or are citizens with a record of arts activities, experience, and knowledge. Grant recipients include theaters, dance companies, museums, cities, colleges and multi-discipline arts entities.