When people think about arts funding, they often picture performances, exhibitions, and workshops – the moments when art comes alive. But behind every concert or class is something just as essential: a place to gather. 

Arts facilities create the foundation for other arts experiences, and can serve more people, more often, and for far longer than a single project. 

•    A reliable facility can welcome audiences year-round, becoming a home for everything from afterschool classes to civic meetings.

•    When cared for, these hubs sustain the arts and the people who gather around them for generations.

Preserving Cultural Hubs

Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) Cultural Facilities grants help communities renovate, preserve, construct, or acquire buildings for arts programming, or purchase major equipment for those facilities.

•    In fiscal year 2025, GCA awarded 24 Cultural Facilities grants in 18 counties, supporting capital improvements like theater restorations.

•    Each year, applications are reviewed by panels that include GCA Council members, arts managers, architects, engineers, local government officials, and other professionals from related fields, with the highest-ranking applicants funded until available resources are exhausted.

Spotlight on FY25 Cultural Facilities Awardees 

The City of Swainsboro (Emanuel County), which had no functional arts venue, used the Cultural Facilities grant to fund a portion of its project to restore the long-dormant, historic Karrh Center Theatre.

•    Details: With the $75,000 grant, the city installed vital stage lighting, professional audio and video systems, and stage curtains.

•    Impact: The improvements helped transform it into a functional venue for live theater, concerts, and community events, laying the groundwork for sustainable artistic growth and year-round civic engagement.

•    Panelist comment: “This community really does see this theatre as their beacon of hope.”  

The Martin Centre in Coffee County used its grant to help replace the theater’s roof, repairing significant damage from Hurricane Helene. 

•    Details: The $75,000 investment helped restore the structural integrity of the historic building so the organization can resume year-round programming.

•    Impact: One of the few dedicated cultural spaces in the area, the theater is also used by local nonprofits, schools, and civic groups, many of which serve low-income families, seniors, and individuals with limited access to the arts. The grant also signaled to other funders the Martin Centre is a valued cultural institution worth investing in, according to the applicant.

•    Panelist comment: “An integral part of downtown revitalization.”

The City of Warrenton (Warren County) used its grant to replace the HVAC system at the Warrenton Cultural Center. 

•    Details: With a $21,963 grant replacing the outdated HVAC system, the historic facility is now a comfortable and functional space for public use.

•    Grant impact: One of the organizations most affected by the nonfunctional HVAC was Area Children’s Theatre (ACT), which relies on the Cultural Center as its primary performance and rehearsal space. Summer programming will no longer be disrupted, giving young performers and volunteers a space to fully engage in their creative process.

•    Panelist comment: “Without [the Warrenton Cultural Center], the arts resources for local children are more limited.”

Creative Legacy

These projects and others like them have a long-tail impact, transforming spaces to preserve cultural heritage and strengthen the foundation for future generations of artists and audiences.
Cultural Facilities grants are just one of the types of grants available through Georgia Council for the Arts – explore additional grant opportunities here.

Learn more about how GCA uses funds from the Georgia General Assembly to support Georgia’s vital arts and culture industry at gaarts.org.