December 10, 2025

State of Alabama
Press Release: Alabama State Council on the Arts

Council Invests Over $1.5 Million to Strengthen Arts and Creativity in Alabama

Montgomery, Ala., (December 10, 2025)In Alabama, arts and creativity drive innovation, foster economic growth, inspire learners of all ages, and unite communities through collaboration and engagement.

That’s why the Alabama State Council on the Arts is awarding $1,544,725 in grants to 172 organizations and individuals to support a wide range of arts initiatives. From folk traditions and theatrical productions to festivals and arts education programming, these investments leave a lasting impact on communities across Alabama.

“Arts and creativity make Alabama stronger—economically, educationally, and culturally,” said Elliot Knight, executive director of the Alabama State Council on the Arts. “These investments ensure that every community, from our largest cities to our smallest towns, has access to the transformative power of the arts. These grants support the people and places that shape Alabama’s creative identity and help build a more vibrant, connected, and resilient state.”

This cycle of funding comprises 203 grants, including:

  • Support for 18 master artists preserving cultural traditions in craft, music, or dance through an apprenticeship model.
  • Project and administrative grants for 154 organizations and educational institutions that offer public arts experiences.

Traditional Arts Apprenticeships

Name

City

County

Apprenticeship

Amount

Vikash Achutaramaiah

Montgomery

Montgomery

Indian Classical Music

$3,000

Edy Aguilar

Athens

Limestone

Piñata Making

$2,000

Leticia Torres Aguilar

Mobile

Mobile

Alebrijes

$1,500

Amita Bhakta

Florence

Lauderdale

Rangoli

$3,000

Sharon Bounds

Northport

Tuscaloosa

Old Time Fiddling

$3,000

Mitchell Buchanan

Alabaster

Shelby

Luthiery

$3,000

Veronica Renee Carter

Opelika

Lee

Quilting

$3,000

Robert Haygens

Opp

Covington

White Oak Basketmaking

$3,000

Estelle Jackson

Demopolis

Marengo

White Oak Basketry

$3,000

Marlene Bennett Jones

Alberta

Wilcox

Quilting

$3,000

Hendon Eric Miller

Brent

Bibb

Folk Pottery

$2,500

Cathy Mooney

Birmingham

Jefferson

Quilting

$2,500

Emma Pettway

Boykin

Wilcox

Quilting

$3,000

Sudha Raghuram

Montgomery

Montgomery

Bharatanatyam

$3,000

Seth Reno

Hoover

Jefferson

Banjo

$3,000

Jason Russell

Gadsden

Etowah

Decoy Carving

$3,000

Orran Scruggs

Dothan

Houston

Wooden Spoon Making

$2,500

Andrea Williams

Alberta

Wilcox

Quilting

$3,000

 

Project Grants, Administrative Project Grants, and Curriculum-Based Project Grants

Organization

City

County

Project

Amount

Alabama Barn Quilt Trail

Killen

Lauderdale

Every Barn Deserves a Quilt

$3,000

Alabama Blues Project

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

2026 YMCA Blues Camp

$6,500

Alabama Conference of Theatre

Birmingham

Jefferson

Strategic Plan Development

$10,900

Alabama Contemporary Art Center

Mobile

Mobile

Alabama AIR

$7,500

Alabama Dance Council

Birmingham

Jefferson

Watermark

$7,500

Alabama Dance Theatre

Montgomery

Montgomery

Enriching our Community Through Dance

$4,000

Alabama Educational Television Foundation Authority

Birmingham

Jefferson

Jeffrey's Southern Ghosts

$7,500

Alabama Institute for Education in the Arts

Montgomery

Montgomery

Weaving Arts into Academics with Teacher Training

$15,000

Alabama Institute for Education in the Arts

Montgomery

Montgomery

Weaving Arts into Academics

$2,875

Alabama International Education and Economic Partnership (ALIEEP)

Montgomery

Montgomery

Stories in Paper: The Tradition of Origami

$7,000

Alabama Orchestra Association

Dothan

Houston

2026 Alabama All-State Orchestra Festival

$8,000

Alabama Regional Arts

Rainbow City

Etowah

Murder Mystery Theatre Murder At Mardi Gras

$4,400

Alabama Repertory Theatre Company

Attalla

Etowah

Frozen, the Broadway Musical

$7,500

Alabama Repertory Theatre Company

Attalla

Etowah

Youth Season

$7,500

Alabama School of Gospel Music

Crossville

Dekalb

2026 Alabama School of Gospel Music

$6,500

Alabama Visual Arts Network

Birmingham

Jefferson

41st Annual Alabama Clay Conference

$8,000

All Things Africatown

Prichard

Mobile

The Living Museum at the Heritage House

$5,000

Art in Public Places

Dothan

Houston

2026 Public Art Projects

$12,800

Art in Public Places

Dothan

Houston

2026 Mural Program

$7,000

ArtsRevive

Selma

Dallas

Salary Support

$14,400

City of Auburn

Auburn

Lee

Adventures in Art

$5,400

Auburn Area Community Theatre

Auburn

Lee

A Season for Everyone

$7,800

Auburn Area Community Theatre

Auburn

Lee

Summer Theatre Camps for Children of All Ages

$7,200

Auburn University

Auburn

Lee

The Persistence of the Arts in Alabama Prisons

$15,000

Autauga Prattville Public Library

Prattville

Autauga

Alabama Heritage Mural

$6,500

Azalea City Center for the Arts

Mobile

Mobile

Mobile Area School Theater Productions

$4,800

Azalea City Center for the Arts

Mobile

Mobile

After School Arts Teachers

$6,500

Ballyhoo Festival of Fine Art and Culture

Gulf Shores

Baldwin

Salary Support

$14,000

BAMA Kids

Camden

Wilcox

Broadway comes to the Blackbelt

$8,000

Birmingham Art Music Alliance

Birmingham

Jefferson

Piano Duo Outreach Concerts

$3,465

Birmingham Chamber Music Society

Mountain Brook

Jefferson

Orion Weiss, Signum Quartet, and American Spiritual Ensemble Concerts

$15,000

Birmingham Children's Theatre

Birmingham

Jefferson

Enhancing the Theatrical Experience for All

$5,000

Birmingham Folk Festival

Birmingham

Jefferson

2026 Birmingham Folk Festival

$8,000

Black Belt Workshop Incorporated

Greensboro

Hale

Hale Quilt Guild

$14,900

Brass Band of Huntsville

Huntsville

Madison

2026 Season of Performances and Educational Activities

$10,500

Broadway Theatre League of Huntsville

Huntsville

Madison

The Tallulah Awards for Alabama High School Musical Theatre

$5,000

Cahaba Chamber Chorale

Vestavia Hills

Jefferson

Cahaba Chamber Chorale Recording Session

$7,000

Camp McDowell

Nauvoo

Walker

Salary Support

$15,000

Center for Education and Performing Arts (CEPA)

Pell City

St. Clair

Spotlight Coordinator Salary

$11,300

Center for Education and Performing Arts (CEPA)

Eclectic

Elmore

Arts in Medicine Partnership Support

$2,500

Central Alabama Caribbean American Organization

Birmingham

Jefferson

Marvel City Caribbean Food and Music Festival

$5,200

CEPA Management Corp

Pell City

St. Clair

A Season of Community Through The Arts

$15,000

The Chrysalis Center

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

Visual Arts and Cursive to Strengthen Writing, Reading and Learning

$7,200

Classical Ballet of Mobile

Mobile

Mobile

Classical Ballet of Mobile’s Community Engagement Project

$6,500

ClefWorks

Montgomery

Montgomery

Spring Into Chamber Music

$8,500

Cloverdale Playhouse

Montgomery

Montgomery

2026 Season, First 3 Productions

$10,500

Coffee  Arts Alliance

Enterprise

Coffee

2026 Spring Performances

$14,000

Coffee  Arts Alliance

Enterprise

Coffee

2026 Piney Woods Arts & Crafts Festival

$5,300

Collinsville Historical Association

Collinsville

Dekalb

2026 Concert Series

$7,800

Community Foundation of West Alabama

Northport

Tuscaloosa

Southeast Fiddle Championship

$5,000

Covenant Academy of Mobile

Mobile

Mobile

Play On

$8,000

Create Birmingham

Birmingham

Jefferson

Birmingham Actors Summit

$1,400

Curate Performing Arts Academy

Hoover

Shelby

Growing Youth Theatre Access With Year-Round Arts Programming

$5,000

Dale  Council of Art and Humanities

Ozark

Dale

26th Annual Regional Art Exhibition

$1,400

Dance Levels

Pinson

Jefferson

IMPACT All the Feels 3

$4,800

Decatur Orchestra Sul Ponticello

Decatur

Morgan

2026 Winter Concert Season

$4,700

Decatur Orchestra Sul Ponticello

Decatur

Morgan

Audition and Selection of Permanent Conductor

$10,200

Dekalb  Schools

Rainsville

Dekalb

Seussical the Musical, Jr.

$8,000

Dogami United

Chunchula

Mobile

Culture in Motion: A Day of Art, Music, and Community Connection

$13,000

City of Dothan

Dothan

Houston

Park Concert Series

$8,000

Dothan City Schools

Dothan

Houston

Printmaking Through Time

$6,000

DRUM The Program

Montevallo

Shelby

Juneteenth Youth Experience

$5,000

East Village Arts

Birmingham

Jefferson

Investing in People and Place

$9,800

Eastern Shore Chamber Music Festival Inc

Fairhope

Baldwin

Summer Festival Season

$14,200

Eastern Shore Chamber Music Festival Inc

Fairhope

Baldwin

Salary Support

$11,100

Eufaula Heritage Association

Eufaula

Barbour

Music for the 59th Eufaula Pilgrimage

$6,000

Excelsior Band Preservation

Mobile

Mobile

Salary Support

$6,000

Fine Arts Find Life

Bessemer

Jefferson

Arts for Expression

$7,700

City of Florence Department of Parks and Recreation

Florence

Lauderdale

Summer Concert Series

$8,000

Floretta P. Carson Visual and Performing Arts Academy

Mobile

Mobile

StepbyStep

$4,800

Foundation for Arts and Cultural Connections

Birmingham

Jefferson

MCAC's Imagination Festival

$7,000

Fountain of Life Community Development Corporation

Huntsville

Madison

Jazz & Joy Community Arts Celebration

$6,500

Friends of the Birmingham Public Library

Birmingham

Jefferson

2026 Art for Everyone Visual Arts Series

$14,000

GirlSpring, Inc.

Birmingham

Jefferson

2026 SHE Camp

$8,000

Glenwood, Inc.

Birmingham

Jefferson

Art and Music for Adults with Autism

$6,500

Greensboro Opera House Inc

Greensboro

Hale

Twice Told Tales: A Season of Dramatized Storytelling

$2,500

Greenville Camellia Society LLC

Greenville

Butler

Artisans Market

$3,200

Grove Hill Arts Council

Grove Hill

Clarke

Administrative Support for Rural Cultural Growth

$9,200

Grove Hill Arts Council

Grove Hill

Clarke

Inspiring Creativity Through Community Art

$8,000

City of Headland/Headland Main Street

Headland

Henry

Under the Oaks: A Free Community Concert Series

$13,000

Heritage Hall Museum

Talladega

Talladega

Mardi Gras Exhibit and Community Celebration

$6,400

Heritage Hall Museum

Talladega

Talladega

2026 Arts Camp for Kids and Youth

$8,000

Historic Blakeley Foundation

Spanish Fort

Baldwin

Thinking Outside the Box Using Found Objects for Artistic Expression

$1,000

Hiztorical Vision Productions

Opelika

Lee

Salary Support

$15,000

Hiztorical Vision Productions

Opelika

Lee

2026 Filmmaking Internship

$9,800

Homewood Theatre

Homewood

Jefferson

Student Musical in the Park

$6,500

Hoover City Schools

Hoover

Jefferson

The Journey to Excellence in State Music Performance Assessments

$6,000

Hoover City Schools

Hoover

Jefferson

Advancing Visual Arts Teaching

$8,000

Huntsville City Schools

Huntsville

Madison

Arts Integration in Title 1 Schools

$14,300

Huntsville City Schools

Huntsville

Madison

Expanding Arts on the Move

$8,000

Huntsville Community Drumline

Huntsville

Madison

Give the Drummer Some

$11,300

Huntsville Hospital Foundation

Huntsville

Madison

Intersections Community Art at the Heart of Healing

$5,600

Huntsville Hospital Foundation

Huntsville

Madison

Melodies in Motion: Tools and Training for Music-Based Healing

$6,000

Huntsville Master Chorale

Huntsville

Madison

Singing in the Brain Workshop with Dr. Heidi Moss Erickson

$3,650

Huntsville Youth Orchestra

Huntsville

Madison

2026 Tennessee Valley Music Festival

$8,000

Impact Arts Council

Morris

Jefferson

Digital Tools for Creative Community Impact

$4,900

IMPHuntsville

Huntsville

Madison

2026 Musical Theater Season

$11,000

INNERGY

Mobile

Mobile

The Dance Artist Catalyst Project

$3,750

InToto Creative Arts Forum

Birmingham

Jefferson

Salary Support

$11,300

Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville

Calhoun

Two One-Act Operas

$7,500

Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville

Calhoun

Jax State Jazz Fest

$4,000

Jasper Main Street

Jasper

Walker

Welcome Center Public Art

$4,100

Jefferson  Greenways Foundation

Birmingham

Jefferson

Art and Nature for East Side Park

$13,000

Joe Jefferson Players

Mobile

Mobile

2026 Season Performances

$11,700

Jubilee Community Center

Montgomery

Montgomery

Ramayana: A Dance Drama

$4,800

Jubilee Community Center

Montgomery

Montgomery

Salary Support

$13,000

The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts

Wetumpka

Elmore

Salary Support

$11,300

Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts Volunteers

Florence

Lauderdale

Arts Alive

$8,000

Levite Jewish Community Center

Birmingham

Jefferson

LJCC Theater

$7,500

Little River Arts Council

Mentone

Dekalb

2026 Summer Music Series Music for the People

$5,600

Live at the Opera

Dothan

Houston

Loop Festival

$8,000

Madison City Community Orchestra

Madison

Madison

Equipment for Touring Performances

$2,100

Main Street Alabama

Birmingham

Jefferson

The Heart of Downtown Celebrating Community Through the Lens

$6,500

Making Art Connections Across Selma, Inc.

Selma

Dallas

Leadership for Lasting Impact

$12,000

Making Art Connections Across Selma, Inc.

Selma

Dallas

Expanding Arts Programming Across Selma

$10,500

Marion  Board of Education

Hamilton

Marion

Festival of the Arts

$5,100

Mobile Opera

Mobile

Mobile

Mozart and Salieri

$5,400

Monroe  Museum

Monroeville

Monroe

2026 Monroeville Literary Festival

$8,000

Montgomery  Historical Society

Montgomery

Montgomery

Doris Alexander Thompson Painter, Lithographer, and Novelist

$6,000

Montgomery Ballet

Montgomery

Montgomery

Seasonal Ballet Performances for Community Engagement and Access

$10,800

Montgomery Public Schools

Montgomery

Montgomery

From Standards to Excellence

$11,000

Montgomery Symphony Orchestra

Montgomery

Montgomery

A Time for Jubilee - Choir Transportation

$8,000

Oka Kapassa Festival

Florence

Colbert

2026 Sharing the Legends School Experience

$7,200

Oka Kapassa Festival

Florence

Colbert

Salary Support

$2,700

City of Ozark

Ozark

Dale

2026 Crawdad & Music Festival

$8,000

Ozark City Schools

Ozark

Dale

Fearless Leadership Academy at Carroll High School

$6,500

Pike Medical Foundation

Troy

Pike

Sunshine Art for Seniors

$4,800

Prattville Creative and Performing Arts Council

Prattville

Autauga

Prattville Celebration of the Arts Workshops and Events

$13,000

Project Threadways

Florence

Lauderdale

Salary Support

$10,500

Red Mountain Makers

Birmingham

Jefferson

Wood Arts and Woodturning

$5,700

Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association

Huntsville

Madison

Camp Fasola

$8,500

Sanspointe Dance Company

Birmingham

Jefferson

Circumstances: A Performance Intensive

$6,000

Selma Dallas  Historic Preservation Society

Selma

Dallas

2026 Art Camp

$8,000

Sheffield City Board of Education

Sheffield

Colbert

Expanding Performing Arts Access at L.E. Willson Elementary

$8,000

Sheffield City Board of Education

Sheffield

Colbert

Get Rhythm! Drumming Residency at W.A. Threadgill Primary

$8,000

Shelby  Arts Council

Columbiana

Shelby

Color & Sound, A Sensory Based Art Exhibit

$5,500

Shoals Symphony Orchestra

Florence

Lauderdale

Variations on America

$8,000

Sloss Furnaces Foundation

Birmingham

Jefferson

Visiting Artist Residency Programs

$7,500

Society of Arts & Crafts

Montgomery

Montgomery

2026 Montgomery Photo Festival

$7,000

Southeast Alabama Community Theatre

Dothan

Houston

Student Theatre Education Series

$11,300

Southern Danceworks

Birmingham

Jefferson

The Baldwin Project Premiere and Community Engagement Initiative

$8,000

Southern Fried Film Festival

Huntsville

Madison

2026 Annual Film Festival

$7,000

Southern Fried Film Festival

Huntsville

Madison

2026 Annual Festival Staff

$13,000

Southern Music Research Center

Birmingham

Jefferson

Salary Support

$15,000

Studio By The Tracks

Irondale

Jefferson

Artist-in-Residence Program

$10,900

Sylacauga Area Council on the Arts & Humanities

Sylacauga

Talladega

Sylacauga Marble Sculpting Symposium & Cultural Exchange

$8,000

Tennessee Valley Art Association

Tuscumbia

Colbert

Educating Through Theatre, Exhibits, and Arts Engagement

$11,300

Tennessee Valley Art Association

Tuscumbia

Colbert

Administrative Support 

$12,800

The Cohill Foundation

Bessemer

Jefferson

S.E.L.F. (Self Expression Learning Fundamentals)

$14,000

The Coleman Center for the Arts

York

Sumter

Website Redesign Project

$2,750

The Flourish Alabama

Birmingham

Jefferson

High Tea

$7,000

The Flourish Alabama

Birmingham

Jefferson

Vibe Tribe

$5,300

The House Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

PIANO (Playing Instruments, Advancing Nascent Opportunities)

$11,300

The House Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

A Conductor of Creativity Supporting Community Arts

$11,300

The March Quilts

Birmingham

Jefferson

10th Anniversary of The March Quilts: Gender Wage Gap

$12,000

The Sound Wall Music Initiative

Opelika

Lee

Strengthening Administrative Capacity

$5,900

The Sound Wall Music Initiative

Opelika

Lee

2026 Opelika Songwriters Festival

$8,000

Tri-State Community Choir

Dothan

Houston

Voices Beyond Borders, Singing the Tapestry of Our Country

$5,000

Tri-State Community Orchestra

Dothan

Houston

After School with Strings Across the Wiregrass

$3,250

Tri-State Expo Juneteenth Affairs

Cowarts

Houston

The JA3M Short Film Festival

$8,500

Tri-State Expo Juneteenth Affairs

Cowarts

Houston

Administrative Support

$14,000

Troy Arts Council

Troy

Pike

Performance Series Winter-Summer 2026

$12,000

Troy University

Troy

Pike

Trojan Junior Warriors Program

$4,985

Troy University

Troy

Pike

Alabama Aloud with Don Noble Season 4

$8,000

Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center

Troy

Pike

2026 Summer Art Explosion

$7,200

Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center

Troy

Pike

Website and Marketing Development

$4,500

University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

2026 Summer Art Camp

$5,600

University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

2026 Sport Art Day

$2,900

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham

Jefferson

Aging Creatively

$4,800

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham

Jefferson

Erin Jane Nelson, Making a Living Exhibition

$7,000

University of Alabama in Huntsville

Huntsville

Madison

Shakespeare in the Garden

$4,500

University of Alabama Press

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

Publishing and Preserving the History of the Raudelunas

$4,800

University of Montevallo

Montevallo

Shelby

Anagama Kiln Shelf

$3,000

Urban Impact, Inc.

Birmingham

Jefferson

Taste of Music in Communities

$14,000

Valiant Cross Academy

Montgomery

Montgomery

The Importance of Arts Exposure for Young Elementary Boys of Color

$4,800

Vestavia Hills City Schools

Vestavia Hills

Jefferson

Full STEAM Ahead

$15,000

Wallace Center for Arts and Reconciliation

Harpersville

Shelby

Artistic Heritage Harvest

$14,000

Wallace State Community College

Hanceville

Cullman

LUMINANASIS: A Celebration of Light, Life, and Lore

$4,000

Walnut Gallery

Gadsden

Etowah

Gadsden Public Arts Project Arts and Wellness

$15,000

Wetumpka Depot Players

Wetumpka

Elmore

Stories that Endure: Celebrating 46 Seasons

$15,000

Wild Alabama

Double Springs

Lawrence

Conservation Through Art

$7,000

City of Winfield

Winfield

Marion

Pastime Theatre Concert Season

$12,000

Wiregrass Blues Society

Dothan

Houston

Annual Programming

$15,000

Wiregrass Blues Society

Dothan

Houston

2026 Wiregrass Blues Festival

$7,000

Your Town Alabama

Birmingham

Jefferson

Matt Herron Photography Exhibit in Selma

$8,000

 

These grants support activities from January 1 to September 30, 2026. Applications are reviewed for eligibility by Council on the Arts staff, a panel of peers from the creative sector, the Council’s Grants Review Committee, and the full 15-member Council. The next deadlines are February 1, 2026, for operating support letters of intent, and March 1, 2026, for individual artist fellowships. Organizations may apply for fiscal year 2027 grants beginning April 1, 2026.

This funding is made possible by the Alabama Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information and updates, 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, units of local government, 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.



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