The Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) has awarded a $5,000 Project Grant to support the second annual Statesboro Festival of the Arts, marking the second consecutive year the local event has received full funding from the state agency.
Dr. Anna Brady, who authored the grant in partnership with the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority (DSDA), played a key role in securing this support. A collaborative partner in the festival’s planning process, Dr. Brady is an instrumental part of to its ongoing success.
“This grant will help fund the many facets that make the festival great—including artist awards, marketing efforts, and so much more,” said Kim Riner of the Averitt Center for the Arts, who was a key player in founding the festival. “But it’s also a matching grant, so we need our community to get behind this event again and help support it through sponsorships.”
The Statesboro Festival of the Arts is one of 177 recipients across 49 counties selected to receive a portion of more than $1.3 million in GCA grant funding for Fiscal Year 2025. These grants support a wide range of cultural initiatives—from one-time arts events to yearlong educational programs.
"The arts are at the heart of Georgia's communities," said Pat Wilson, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, which oversees the GCA. "These grants will help strengthen communities across the state, encouraging tourism, business opportunity, and local pride."
Other funded projects include a mural installation along U.S. 1 in Jefferson County, an afterschool arts program in Catoosa County, and a music initiative at Woodland High School in Bartow County.
The GCA uses a peer review panel process to evaluate grant applications. Funding for the council comes from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional grants for fiscal year 2026 will be announced later this year.
For more information on the Statesboro Festival of the Arts, including sponsorship opportunities, visit the festival website. The 2026 event is scheduled for March 21-22, 2026 at The Market at Visit Statesboro. Festival hours will be 10am-5pm on Saturday and 10am-4pm on Sunday. Admission is free.