CONTINUING THEIR CREATIVITY: South Georgia Ballet was awarded a General Operating Support Grant, allowing SGB to focus on its primary mission of training serious dancers.

THOMASVILLE — South Georgia Ballet was awarded a General Operating Support Grant from Georgia Council for the Arts, a strategic arm of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, for fiscal year 2026. The grant provides funding for operating support to nonprofit arts organizations. As part of this year’s General Operating Support awards, 104 entities in 27 counties will receive more than $1 million in funding.

“Georgia’s nonprofit arts organizations are bringing quality arts and cultural events to their communities, fostering economic vitality and providing opportunities for young people,” said Georgia Council for the Arts Director Tina Lilly. “This grant funding will allow these organizations to focus on their primary mission by relieving some of the burden of operating expenses, and we are grateful to the Georgia General Assembly for providing this support.”

Georgia Council for the Arts received applications from arts organizations from across the state, including performing arts centers, museums, galleries, amphitheaters, and music festivals.

General Operating Support Grants are available to arts organizations for eligible operating expenses like rent, utilities, programming expenses, and marketing.

South Georgia Ballet’s Executive Director Rachel Arnold said, “We are incredibly grateful for the continued support from Georgia Council for the Arts. This grant will help ensure that we can provide meaningful dance education experiences to students and citizens throughout our community and Southwest Georgia.”

Funding for these grants is provided through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and National Endowment for the Arts.

Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) 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.