Knight Foundation helping Macon tell its story through art

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is awarding $200,000 to 13 projects that will help tell Macon’s story through art.

The Museum of Arts and Sciences has been awarded $25,000 to add a climbing structure created by regional artists to its offerings, according to a Tuesday release from the Knight Foundation.

The Macon Arts Alliance will use its $25,000 grant to create a video and podcast series to share stories of artists and residents of the East Macon Mill Hill arts village and the Fort Hawkins neighborhood on Georgia Public Broadcasting.

“Artists tell our stories, help define who we are and where we are going as a community,” Amanda Thompson, an arts program officer for the Knight Foundation, said in the statement. “We’re delighted about what these projects add to the conversation and how they help continue to build community in Macon.”

Other grant recipients for 2016-2017 include:

▪ The Big House Foundation ($10,000): To spark conversations about music through the Rock ’N’ Roll Music Story series, which brings renowned musicians, managers and crew members to The Allman Brothers Band Museum to talk about careers in the music business.

▪ Field Note Stenographers ($10,000): To encourage a deeper appreciation of the local music scene by supporting the Diggin’ the Field podcast, which complements the group’s popular blog and is co-hosted online by Georgia Public Broadcasting.

▪ Macon Productions ($5,000): To bring the arts into people’s everyday lives for the second year with Corner Concerts, a series of pop-up live music events in vacant and underused spaces downtown.

▪ Tubman Museum ($10,000): To expand the impact of the 2017 Pan African Festival of Georgia, which focuses on the arts of the African diaspora, by bringing in an international dance company that will perform and provide dance classes.

▪ Bragg Jam ($10,000): To extend the 2016 Second Sundays series, a free monthly outdoor concert series in College Hill featuring a broad range of music genres.

▪ Lost Keys Literary Festival ($10,000): Celebrated Macon writers and the literary arts in the city.

▪ Macon Symphony Orchestra ($15,000): Attracted new audiences to the symphony by bringing pianist Spencer Myer to perform at the symphony’s 40th anniversary season opening concert in 2016.

▪ Otis Redding Foundation ($30,000): Supported high-quality music education for Macon youths with 30 scholarships to the Otis Music Camp at Mercer University.

▪ Phillips Performing Arts Foundation ($5,000): Helped to foster the next generation of artists with a three-week summer camp focused on dance and music.

▪ Praisefest ($20,000): Celebrated gospel music with a free inspirational concert series that paired local artists with national talent.

▪ Streetline Percussion ($25,000): Fostered artistic development in Macon through Camp Drums & Dreams, a free, six-week music education summer camp for youths ages 8 to 18.

This story was originally published December 20, 2016 at 4:58 PM with the headline "Knight Foundation helping Macon tell its story through art."