State of Alabama
03/23/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/23/2026 11:35
Over $2.7 million awarded to Alabama’s creative spaces through State Legislature-supported grant program
MONTGOMERY, Ala., (March 23, 2026) - The Creative Places Arts Facilities program strengthens Alabama communities by providing grants for the construction, renovation, restoration, or enhancement of facilities where the public can participate in arts programming and educational activities. These investments are possible thanks to an appropriation from the Alabama Legislature.
Earlier this month, at a quarterly meeting in Montgomery, the Alabama State Council on the Arts awarded 60 Creative Places Arts Facilities grants totaling $2,768,800 to nonprofit organizations and municipalities across the state.
"These critical investments make a big difference in communities throughout Alabama and will pay dividends for years to come," said Elliot Knight, executive director of the Council on the Arts. "We extend our gratitude to the Alabama Legislature for their continued support of the Creative Places Arts Facilities grant program and their recognition of the importance of these investments, particularly in rural communities."
GRANT AWARDS
Grants were awarded in two categories: enhancement grants to fund equipment purchases and upgrades that will improve how cultural assets and works of art are presented, produced, exhibited, and/or preserved; and construction grants to fund the building of a new facility, substantial renovations of an existing facility, or significant repairs/modifications of existing facilities. Significant investments in these categories include the following examples:
- Canebrake Players in Demopolis received a $33,000 construction grant to support necessary repairs to the Old School's foundation and the installation of French drains to prevent structural water damage.
- Collinsville Historical Association in DeKalb County received a $50,000 enhancement grant to support upgrades to the Cricket Theatre, including floor repair and upgraded ADA-compliant seating.
- Friends of Martin Theatre in Eufaula received a $95,000 construction grant to support the final phase for stabilization of the historic Martin Theatre and the initial building phase of an outdoor event center.
- Foundation 154 in Elba received a $42,500 enhancement grant to support equipment upgrades for the Elba Theatre, including a new projector, screen, and recording equipment.
- Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema in Birmingham received an $85,000 construction grant to support an expansion that will include two micro cinemas, additional classroom space, and exterior signage.
- Tennessee Valley Art Association in Colbert County received a $77,000 construction grant to support the renovation of the unfinished second floor of the historic Ritz Theatre in Sheffield, which will be used as classroom space once completed.
- The City of Robertsdale in Baldwin County received a $41,200 enhancement grant to support the purchase of sound and audio-visual equipment for public performances at the Centennial Park Amphitheater.
- Tri-State Expo Juneteenth Affairs in Houston County received an $85,000 construction grant to support the first phase of renovations to a building in Dothan's historic Dixie Depot community that will house the Juneteenth African American Arts Museum & Repository.
The following grant recipients represent a broad range of groups and organizations making long-term investments in their arts-focused spaces. This round of funding supports activities taking place between April 1, 2026, and April 1, 2027.
|
Organization |
City |
County |
Category |
Project |
Amount |
|
Alabama Contemporary Art Center |
Mobile |
Mobile |
Construction |
Community Art Studio & Greenspace Phase II |
$70,000 |
|
Alexander City Theatre II |
Alexander City |
Tallapoosa |
Construction |
Replacement of the Bama Theatre Roof |
$65,000 |
|
Andalusia Ballet Association |
Andalusia |
Covington |
Enhancement |
Performance Backdrops |
$4,700 |
|
Arts Council of the Trussville Area (ACTA) Theater |
Trussville |
Jefferson |
Construction |
Audio System Modifications & Tech Loft Expansion |
$100,000 |
|
ArtsRevive |
Selma |
Dallas |
Construction |
Gallery 905 and CREATE Space Renovations |
$66,000 |
|
Athens Limestone County Tourism Association |
Athens |
Limestone |
Enhancement |
Creation and Installation of Benches on Richard Martin Trail |
$42,500 |
|
Auburn Area Community Theatre |
Auburn |
Lee |
Enhancement |
LED Lighting Upgrades |
$20,000 |
|
Azalea City Center for the Arts |
Mobile |
Mobile |
Construction |
Performing Arts Facility |
$85,000 |
|
Baldwin County Youth Orchestra |
Fairhope |
Baldwin |
Enhancement |
Sound System Equipment Upgrades |
$30,000 |
|
Boys & Girls Clubs of East Alabama |
Opelika |
Lee |
Enhancement |
The Art Lab |
$42,500 |
|
Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama |
Huntsville |
Madison |
Construction |
Youth Arts Exchange |
$90,000 |
|
The Burleson Center |
Hartselle |
Morgan |
Construction |
Fine Arts Center |
$100,000 |
|
Canebrake Players |
Demopolis |
Marengo |
Construction |
Renovation of Old School of Demopolis |
$33,000 |
|
Collinsville Historical Association |
Collinsville |
DeKalb |
Enhancement |
Cricket Theatre Seating Phase I |
$50,000 |
|
Community Actors Studio Theatre |
Anniston |
Calhoun |
Construction |
Roof Repair and HVAC Replacement Project |
$41,000 |
|
The Dance Foundation |
Birmingham |
Jefferson |
Enhancement |
Studio Theatre Improvements |
$47,500 |
|
The City of Dothan |
Dothan |
Houston |
Enhancement |
Dothan Civic Center PA System |
$40,000 |
|
East Village Arts |
Birmingham |
Jefferson |
Construction |
Renovating a Historic Facility to Expand Arts Access |
$100,000 |
|
Eastern Shore Art Association |
Fairhope |
Baldwin |
Construction |
ADA Compliant Elevator Installation |
$14,000 |
|
Envision Opelika Foundation |
Opelika |
Lee |
Construction |
Renovation of Auditorium of Southside Center for the Arts |
$60,000 |
|
Faith Crusade |
Montgomery |
Montgomery |
Enhancement |
The Mothers of Gynecology Museum Interactive Exhibition Enhancement |
$40,000 |
|
Firehouse Community Arts Center |
Birmingham |
Jefferson |
Construction |
Two Additional Lesson Rooms |
$10,000 |
|
The City of Florence Department of Parks and Recreation |
Florence |
Lauderdale |
Enhancement |
Sound System for the Florence-Lauderdale Coliseum |
$49,900 |
|
Foundation 154 |
Elba |
Coffee |
Enhancement |
Screen & Projection System Enhancement for the Elba Theatre |
$42,500 |
|
Franklin County Arts and Humanities Council |
Russellville |
Franklin |
Enhancement |
The Historic Roxy Theatre Enhancement |
$36,000 |
|
Friends of Martin Theatre |
Eufaula |
Barbour |
Construction |
Structural Stabilization and Repair of Martin Theatre |
$95,000 |
|
Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation |
Gadsden |
Etowah |
Construction |
Painting the Music Center at Temple Beth Israel |
$14,000 |
|
Greensboro Opera House |
Greensboro |
Hale |
Construction |
Expansion of Performance Space |
$15,000 |
|
Habitat for Humanity of the River Valley |
Huntsville |
Madison |
Enhancement |
Gallery Enhancement |
$4,500 |
|
Historic Ritz Theatre |
Talladega |
Talladega |
Construction |
ADA Restroom Expansion for All Audiences |
$95,000 |
|
Homewood Theatre |
Homewood |
Jefferson |
Enhancement |
Enhancement of Microphones and Speakers |
$20,000 |
|
Huntsville Community Drumline |
Huntsville |
Madison |
Enhancement |
Remodeling the Rhythms/Reshaping the Beats Phase ll |
$12,200 |
|
Joe Jefferson Players |
Mobile |
Mobile |
Enhancement |
Sound Equipment Upgrade/Installation |
$35,000 |
|
Jubilee Community Center |
Montgomery |
Montgomery |
Enhancement |
Infrastructure Upgrades for Arts and Community Programming |
$40,000 |
|
Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts |
Wetumpka |
Elmore |
Construction |
Education and Exhibition Expansion |
$100,000 |
|
Kentuck Museum Association |
Northport |
Tuscaloosa |
Construction |
Creating Safe Spaces for Community Creativity |
$40,000 |
|
Leeds Arts Council |
Leeds |
Jefferson |
Enhancement |
Facility Enhancement Upgrades |
$22,000 |
|
Maitland Arts Initiative |
Huntsville |
Madison |
Enhancement |
Creative Education and Opportunity Center Phase II |
$40,000 |
|
Mentone Arts and Culture Center |
Mentone |
Dekalb |
Enhancement |
Gallery Art Hanging System |
$4,600 |
|
The Mobile Museum of Art |
Mobile |
Mobile |
Enhancement |
Program Space Upgrades |
$49,900 |
|
The City of Montgomery |
Montgomery |
Montgomery |
Construction |
The Riverfront Stage at the Silos |
$75,000 |
|
Montgomery Ballet |
Montgomery |
Montgomery |
Enhancement |
Studio Theater Mirror & Audio Enhancement Project |
$40,000 |
|
Opportunity 4 Entertainers & Performing Arts |
Mobile |
Mobile |
Enhancement |
Media and Music Production Course |
$25,000 |
|
Pride of Atmore |
Atmore |
Escambia |
Enhancement |
Enhancement of the Strand Theatre & Adjoining Encore Historically Preserved Buildings |
$34,300 |
|
Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts |
Decatur |
Morgan |
Enhancement |
Continued Upgrades for Theatre and Building |
$25,000 |
|
Red Mountain Makers |
Birmingham |
Jefferson |
Construction |
Phase II Renovations |
$30,000 |
|
The City of Robertsdale |
Robertsdale |
Baldwin |
Enhancement |
Centennial Park Amphitheater Public Performance Enhancements |
$41,200 |
|
Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum Association |
Montgomery |
Montgomery |
Enhancement |
Livestream Conference & Events Set Up |
$10,500 |
|
Shelby County Arts Council |
Columbiana |
Shelby |
Enhancement |
Pottery Equipment Updates & Building Signage |
$7,300 |
|
Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema |
Birmingham |
Jefferson |
Construction |
Expansion of the Film Center and Cinema |
$85,000 |
|
Space One Eleven |
Birmingham |
Jefferson |
Enhancement |
Flooring and Lighting Upgrades Phase II |
$45,000 |
|
Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement (SAFE) |
Sylacauga |
Talladega |
Construction |
East Alabama Rural Innovation and Training Hub (EARTH) Cultural Arts Center |
$30,000 |
|
Tennessee Valley Art Association |
Tuscumbia |
Colbert |
Construction |
Renovation of Upstairs Classrooms for Arts Education |
$77,000 |
|
Terrific New Theatre |
Birmingham |
Jefferson |
Enhancement |
Equipment and Facility Upgrade |
$42,500 |
|
Theatre Tuscaloosa |
Tuscaloosa |
Tuscaloosa |
Enhancement |
LED Lighting Expansion and Enhancement |
$40,000 |
|
Tri-State Expo Juneteenth Affairs |
Cowarts |
Houston |
Construction |
Construction Phase I: The Juneteenth African American Arts Museum (the JA3M) & Repository |
$85,000 |
|
The City of Tuscaloosa |
Tuscaloosa |
Tuscaloosa |
Construction |
Chief Tuskaloosa Monument and Cultural Heritage Interpretive Site |
$40,000 |
|
Walnut Gallery |
Gadsden |
Etowah |
Enhancement |
LED Lighting System & Accessibility Enhancements |
$19,200 |
|
Wetumpka Depot Players |
Wetumpka |
Elmore |
Construction |
Facility Restoration and Improvement Project |
$100,000 |
|
The Whole Backstage |
Guntersville |
Marshall |
Enhancement |
Historic Theatre Seating Upgrades |
$50,000 |
COUNCIL BOARD UPDATES
During the quarterly meeting, the Council on the Arts was joined by Representative Danny Garrett, chair of the Alabama House Ways and Means Education Committee. Rep. Garrett acknowledged the Council's important work and shared an update on the fiscal year 2027 Education Trust Fund budget. The Alabama House-approved budget includes $1.2 million for another round of Creative Places Arts Facilities grants. Applications for the next cycle of arts facilities funding are expected to open in October 2026.
The board also heard a presentation from Dr. Richard Evans, director of the Alabama Writers' Forum, on the continued success of the Writing Our Stories program. A decades-long collaboration with the Alabama Department of Youth Services, the arts education program teaches creative writing skills to justice-involved students.
The Council on the Arts officially welcomed Tori Lee Averett to the board at the March meeting. In September 2025, Governor Kay Ivey appointed Averett to serve on the agency's governing board; incumbent Council members Tina Naremore Jones, Barbara Patton, Sontonia T. K. Stephens, and Lisa Blach Weil were also reappointed at that time.
Also noteworthy is the selection of Council officers for 2026-2027 - John C. Coleman as chair, Ceil Jenkins Snow as vice-chair, and Kim Mitchell as secretary.
For more information on the Alabama State Council on the Arts, visit arts.alabama.gov.
# # #
About Alabama State Council on the Arts
The Council on the Arts is the official state agency for the support and development of the arts in Alabama. The Council works to expand and preserve the state's cultural resources by supporting nonprofit arts organizations, schools, colleges, local governments, and individual artists. Arts programs, assisted by Council grants, have a track record of enhancing community development, education, cultural tourism, and overall quality of life in all regions of the state. Alabama State Council on the Arts grants are made possible by an annual appropriation from the Alabama Legislature and additional funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Learn more at arts.alabama.gov.
State of Alabama published this content on March 23, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 23, 2026 at 17:35 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]