Three Rome and Floyd County organizations are among the recipients of fiscal year 2027 grant funding awarded by the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA), helping strengthen the region’s vibrant arts community and expand access to cultural programming. The Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Georgia Council for the Arts announced that $1.3 million in competitive grant funding will be distributed to organizations in 37 counties across the state through its Fiscal Year 2027 General Operating Support, Project, and Arts Education Program grants. In total, 179 grants were awarded during the initial funding cycle.
Among the local recipients are Georgia Mountain Theatre Inc., Rome Shakespeare Festival, and the YMCA of Rome & Floyd County, all of which received General Operating Support Grants to help sustain their ongoing operations and community programming.
The Rome Shakespeare Festival also received a Project Grant to support its production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” one of the signature performances of the annual festival that draws thousands of residents and visitors to downtown Rome each year.
“In Georgia, the arts are at the heart of our communities, from big cities to rural towns,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson. “The Georgia Council for the Arts grants we are announcing today will support vibrant arts organizations and diverse arts programming that foster a sense of community, enhance downtowns, and support small businesses. These investments will also benefit Georgia students, providing opportunities to enhance creative skills that will help them in whatever career path they choose.”
Statewide, the General Operating Support Grant provides funding to 90 nonprofit arts organizations. Project Grants support 57 individual arts initiatives, including exhibitions, theater productions, workshops, and organizational capacity-building efforts. Arts Education Program Grants were awarded to 32 organizations offering K-12 arts education in disciplines ranging from visual arts and music to theater, dance, and creative writing.
The grants are funded through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding through the Georgia Council for the Arts’ Vibrant Communities and Cultural Facilities programs will be announced in fall 2026.
