ATLANTA – August 12, 2022 – Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA), a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, has awarded the Decatur Book Festival a grant as part of its initial disbursement of grants for fiscal year 2022.
“The arts sector is vital to the economy by attracting tourists, assisting with classroom learning, and igniting events to bring communities back together,” said GCA Executive Director Tina Lilly. “The grants we have awarded will help cities and organizations leverage additional funds and bring people back to work while providing fun and educational opportunities for Georgians across the state.”
The grant helped fund the 2022 Joshilyn Jackson Summer Reading Series, the second annual occurrence of this popular event. It will also help to bring the 17th annual Decatur Book Festival to life. The 2022 event will feature a ticketed Keynote from acclaimed author Pete Souza on Friday, September 30 at 8:00 p.m.
The rest of the 2022 Decatur Book Festival is a free, non-ticketed, all-day event on October 1st. First Baptist Church of Decatur will play host to 16 panels — six on the children’s stage in the recreation area of the church and ten for adult audiences in two halls inside the facility.
“We want to extend our warm and heartfelt gratitude to GCA for this gift,” said Adam Rosenkoetter, Decatur Book Festival board member. “To have the support of such an important organization in both word and action has helped us continue to make our beloved festival a reality in 2022.”
Funds awarded by Georgia Council for the Arts include appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Georgia Council for the Arts uses Peer Review Panels to judge and review applications following standard practices set by the National Endowment for the Arts. Panelists are GCA Council members and fellow professionals who are experienced in the arts discipline or type of grant being reviewed, or are citizens with a record of arts activities, experience and knowledge. Grant recipients include theaters, dance companies, museums, cities, colleges and multi-discipline arts entities.
A complete list of fiscal year 2022 grantees in these program areas can be found here.
About Georgia Council for the Arts
Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) is a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development whose mission is to cultivate the growth of vibrant, thriving Georgia communities through the arts. GCA provides grant funding, programs and services statewide that support the vital arts industry, preserve the state’s cultural heritage, increase tourism and nurture strong communities. Funding for Georgia Council for the Arts is provided by appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. Visit gaarts.org for more information.
About GDEcD
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state’s sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a destination for arts and location for film, music, and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. Visit www.georgia.org for more information.