HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Arts Huntsville celebrated the 15 recipients of awards from the Huntsville Art & Cultural Grant program. These groups received the funds, ranging from $3,140 to $14,528, to support their community arts programs.
Arts Huntsville says that the Huntsville City Council awarded $185,000 in pass-through grant funding as part of the City’s FY21 budget, and eligible Huntsville-based arts organizations completed detailed grant applications in the fall of 2021. These were reviewed by a citizen-grant panel with experience in varied artistic disciplines and representative of each of Huntsville’s five City Council districts. The panel included: Laurie McCaulley (District 1); Beth Wise, (District 2); Don Wolfe (District 3); Alan Little (District 4); and Kim Caudle Lewis (District 5).
“COVID-19 has created a crisis situation for many of our artists and arts organizations,” said Allison Dillon-Jauken, Arts Huntsville Executive Director, adding that she is grateful that the Huntsville City Council saw the need for increased funding this year to provide additional support to nonprofit arts organizations. “We are incredibly fortunate that our elected officials support the arts and understand the value of the arts and its impact on education, economic development and our quality of life.”
This year's grant recipients are:
- Alabama Youth Ballet Theatre, Inc. $ 12,668
- Ars Nova, Inc. $ 13,773
- Brass Band of Huntsville $ 3,876
- Broadway Theatre League of Huntsville $ 14,256
- Dance All Productions, Inc $ 11,62
- Fantasy Playhouse Children's Theater $ 14,528
- Huntsville Community Chorus Association $ 14,166
- Huntsville Community Drumline $ 14,438
- Huntsville Literary Association $ 3,140
- Huntsville Youth Orchestra $ 13,592
- Independent Musical Productions, Inc. $ 14,015
- Maitland Arts Initiative $ 14,015
- Merrimack Hall Performing Arts Center $ 14,226
- Tennessee Valley Jazz Society $ 13,298
- Theatre Huntsville $ 13,380
During the State of the Arts online celebration, Americans for the Arts Interim President and CEO, retired US Army Brigadier General Nolen Bivens shared the organization’s perspective on current and longstanding issues and opportunities within the local and national arts arenas. Bivens referenced Huntsville’s position as a technology and engineering community, citing the intersection and partnerships between science and the arts. “Art speaks and sparks creativity and innovation,” Bivens also highlighted the benefits of arts and health in the military programs and the broad-reaching power of the arts to help communities move through trauma and aid in healing, unity and greater civic engagement.
Arts Huntsville says that the Huntsville Arts & Cultural Grant Program was first launched in 2013 by Mayor Tommy Battle to nurture artistic excellence, encourage public access to arts and cultural programming, expand arts education opportunities and develop the organizational capacity of Huntsville’s nonprofit arts and cultural organizations. This year, the fund’s award amount increased to $185,000, up from $170,000 in 2020. “I believe that the future of the arts in brighter than ever,” Battle said in the celebration address, “and, I have long said that arts are central to the vitality, intelligence and emotional growth of Huntsville. Participating in the arts promotes teamwork, critical thinking and innovation – and isn’t that what Huntsville’s all about?”