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Arts advocates ask lawmakers for $3 million to sustain Georgia Council for the Arts grants
Summary
Georgians for the Arts told the subcommittee the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) is facing a funding cliff when pandemic‑era relief funds expire and requested $3 million to avoid an interruption in grantmaking to nonprofit arts organizations across the state.
Georgians for the Arts executive director Wadudah Mohammed told the House subcommittee that the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) used federal pandemic relief funds to support nonprofit arts organizations but that those funds will expire at the end of FY2025. Mohammed asked lawmakers for a $3,000,000 appropriation to make the GCA operating grants program whole and avoid service interruptions.
Mohammed said GCA awarded hundreds of grants and supported thousands of jobs through the pandemic relief program. At the hearing Mohammed said the program awarded 344 grants and supported 3,709 jobs, reaching 149 of Georgia’s 159 counties. The presenter emphasized Georgia’s low per‑capita state funding for the arts and cited the state’s rank of 50th in funding per capita (about $0.14 per person) compared with other states.
Advocacy and additional proposals: Georgians for the Arts also urged the committee to consider non‑budget mechanisms to build sustainable revenue for GCA, including resubmitting a tax refund donation option and pursuing a specialty motor vehicle license plate whose proceeds would support the council. The presenter provided committee members with handouts including a GCA economic impact study that quantifies arts sector attendance, jobs and economic contributions.
Ending: Committee members had no immediate questions; the presenter asked the committee to consider the funding request as part of the FY2026 deliberations.
