Several middle Georgia organizations receive grants to support arts

Thanks to a grant from Georgia Council for the Arts, several middle Georgia organizations are getting the support to continue immersing the community in the arts.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Thanks to a grant from Georgia Council for the Arts, several middle Georgia organizations are getting the support to continue immersing the community in the arts.

The council awarded more than $1.3 million to several organizations across the state.

We spoke with two right here in middle Georgia.

While art can be a form of expression, it can also bring people together.

That’s what the Grand Opera House is hoping to do with its $5,000.

“This space belongs to everyone, and everyone is an artist, and there’s something everyone can do creatively themselves,” Julia Rubens said.

Rubens is the Arts Marketing and Community Engagement Director for Mercer University.

She says the funding from the council will help them put on the “Macon Arts Explosion” event for its second year.

This year, they’ll get to add more vendors and days to the mix.

Rubens says her favorite part  is seeing “mini interactions” between people.

“So artists meeting other artists, individuals who had never done a painting class taking the plunge for the very first time,” she said.

Rubens says the goal is to open the eyes of the community to art and immerse people into new experiences.

The Otis Redding Foundation hopes to achieve a similar goal.

“We hope to service more kids in our community and get them involved in music and arts education, so we’re really excited about that,” Karla Redding-Andrews said.

According to Andrews, the organization’s $20,000 grant is a way to help her inspire the youth.

“We know if we have a larger space to service more kids, we can impact the lives of so many kids, which was a dream of my father’s,” she said.

The money will help add team members and create new programs for the organization’s new facility when it opens next year.

Middle Georgia State University was also awarded a grant. $6,000 will go toward its goal of hosting a Native American-themed festival next year.