Tourism awarded Vibrant Communities Grant
The Hazlehurst-Jeff Davis County Board of Tourism was awarded a Vibrant Communities Grant from Georgia Council for the Arts, the Georgia Department of Economic Development team specialized in empowering arts and culture, for fiscal year 2026. The Vibrant Communities Grant supports a variety of arts programming throughout the state, including murals, artist residencies and performances in schools, community theater productions, festivals, and concerts.
As part of this year’s Vibrant Communities awards, 55 entities in 41 counties will receive $230,000 in funding.
“Georgia Council for the Arts is excited to support arts programming across the state that expands educational opportunities for students, attracts tourists who support small businesses, and cultivates vibrant communities,” said Georgia Council for the Arts Executive Director Tina Lilly. “These grants are vital in areas of the state that do not have local arts organizations, and help communities harness the long-term benefits of the arts and improve quality of life for residents.”
Georgia Council for the Arts received applications from schools, libraries, cities, historical societies, community theaters, Boys & Girls Clubs, and arts and other related organizations. In an effort to support projects across the state, Vibrant Communities Grants were awarded to entities in counties in which no organization had already received Georgia Council for the Arts funding for the fiscal year 2026 grants cycle.
“Funding from the Georgia Council for the Arts means that we will again be able to host the Three Rivers Arts Festival,” said Oakley G. Perry, President/CEO of the Board of Tourism. “Programs like our festival help to bring art into our community while also celebrating the art and artists that call Jeff Davis County home. Thank you to the Georgia Council for the Arts and our state legislators for providing this critical funding.”
Funding for these grants is provided through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly.
