Grant awarded for two downtown murals
The Development Authority of Seminole County and Donalsonville in Seminole County was awarded a Vibrant Communities grant from Georgia Council for the Arts, a strategic arm of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, for fiscal year 2023. The Vibrant Communities Grant supports a variety of arts programming opportunities throughout the state. As part of this year’s Vibrant Communities awards, 44 entities in 38 counties will receive almost $200,000 in funding.
The local project for which the grant was awarded is for two murals to be painted on the historic Seminole-Hartzog Pharmacy building located in downtown Donalsonville at 111 East Second Street. To attract tourists to our downtown area, and provide a vibrant backdrop for photo opportunities, the project would first start with a larger, postcard style mural spelling out the town name Donalsonville. Inside the lettering of this mural would be images that reflect the history, local culture and quality of life of the small town of Donalsonville. The second, smaller mural, would feature a vintage style advertisement for Seminole-Hartzog Pharmacy’s original namesake, Seminole Drug Co. with its original logo.
“Rarely has arts funding been more needed than it is today, so Georgia Council for the Arts is particularly grateful for the support that the Georgia General Assembly is providing for our arts communities to help them carry out their mission,” said Georgia Council for the Arts Director Tina Lilly. “We hear firsthand about what this assistance can mean to an organization and a community, and we’re pleased to know that it will touch the lives of so many Georgians.”
Georgia Council for the Arts received applications from schools, libraries, cities, historical societies, community theatres, Boys & Girls Clubs, and arts and other related organizations from across the state. Entities that previously received a fiscal year 2023 Project, Bridge, or Arts Education grant, which were announced in August, were not eligible for Vibrant Communities grants.
Color the World Bright is the artist group that will be involved in the mural project, and is led by Professor Joseph Norman of the UGA Lamar Dodd School of Art and Katie E. Brannen, Project Manager. The crew is made up of students from the Lamar Dodd School of Art.
“We feel that each mural we are working to have painted would positively impact not only the look of our small town community, but it will bring in tourists as well,” commented Chamber of Commerce President Sarah Avery.
