FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2016
Atlanta – South Arts, a Regional Arts Organization serving nine states in the Southeast, has announced $20,586 in grants to 14 literary arts presenting organizations throughout the region. These grants, made possible through funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, support organizations presenting out-of-state writers for public readings and educational activities.
“Thriving arts and culture are crucial to our region’s quality of life and competitiveness across multiple sectors,” explained South Arts executive director Susie Surkamer. “The events we help fund impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of residents, exposing audiences to diverse artists and artforms.”
The grants cover the nine states in the South Arts region: including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Organizations applied in the spring, and were recently notified of their status; grants are matched at least dollar for dollar by the recipient organization.
“Literature has always been such an important part of the South,” continued Surkamer. “South Arts is proud to be able to facilitate audiences being able to experience the spoken word. Our literary arts grants will introduce audiences to southern writers and poets such as Jamie Quatro, Clare Beams, and the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry recipient Natasha Trethewey.”
A full list of South Arts’ grant recipients and programs is available on our website. Organizations interested in applying for the next grant cycle are recommended to sign up for South Arts’ email list and continue to visit their site.
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About South Arts
South Arts, a nonprofit regional arts organization, was founded in 1975 to build on the South’s unique heritage and enhance the public value of the arts. South Arts’ work responds to the arts environment and cultural trends with a regional perspective. South Arts offers an annual portfolio of activities designed to address the role of the arts in impacting the issues important to our region, and to link the South with the nation and the world through the arts.
2016-17 Grantees:
- Auburn University Foundation of Auburn, AL received a $2025 Literary Arts grant to present Natasha Trethewey.
- Tigertail Productions, Inc. of Miami, FL received an $1897 Literary Arts grant to present Emanuelee Bean.
- Atlantic Center for the Arts of New Smyrna Beach, FL received a $2009 Literary Arts grant to present Makkai, Murillo, and Roux.
- West KY Community & Technical College of Paducah, KY received an $1891 Literary Arts grant to present Conor Grennan.
- The Festival of Words Cultural Arts Collective of Grand Coteau, LA received a $518 Literary Arts grant to present Dr. Rain Prud’homme-Cranford Gomez.
- Ashe County Arts Council of West Jefferson, NC received a $1200 Literary Arts grant to present Darnell Arnoult and Beth Macy.
- University of North Carolina at Wilmington of Wilmington, NC received a $1590 Literary Arts grant to present Clare Beams.
- The Poetry Society of South Carolina of Charleston, SC received a $445 Literary Arts grant to present Dr. Bruce Weigl.
- Peace Center Foundation of Greenville, SC received a $1963 Literary Arts grant to present Project Voice featuring Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye.
- The Watering Hole Poetry Organization of York, SC received a $2044 Literary Arts grant to present E. Shockley, L. Wilson, B. Judd and S. Strange.
- Lee University of Cleveland, TN received a $1695 Literary Arts grant to present Robert Olen Butler.
- Christian Brothers University of Memphis, TN received a $2106 Literary Arts grant to present Jesmyn Ward.
- Global Education Center of Nashville, TN received an $839 Literary Arts grant to present Claudia F. Savage.
- The Porch Writers’ Collective of Nashville, TN received a $364 Literary Arts grant to present Jamie Quatro.