The Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA) has announced that it will hold its quarterly meeting in Troy September 3 and 4. At the meeting, the Council will vote to approve recommended grants. Grants to be voted on and approved are in response to applications submitted under the June 1, 2014 deadline and represent the second round of grants awarded in the 2014-2015 fiscal year.

Vicki Pritchett, executive director of the Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center, said the State Arts Council has been very supportive of the Cultural Arts Center since the inception of the Johnson Center for the Arts, which was founded by the TPCAC.

“ASCA has been very generous in awarding grants in support of the Johnson Center and also our Art Bridges program,” Pritchett said. “We are thrilled and honored that the State Arts Council has chosen the Johnson Center for the Arts for its quarterly meeting.”

Pritchett said ASCA held one of its quarterly meetings at Troy University several years ago.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome ASCA back to Troy,” she said.

ASCA makes grants to non-profit organizations, school, universities, cities and a wide range of community groups.

“In addition to the Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center, local cultural arts organizations that receive funding from ASCA are the Troy Arts Council, the Brundidge Historical Society and the Pike Pioneer Museum,” Pritchett said. “We are all very appreciative of the support that we have received and continue to receive from the State Arts Council.”

ASCA funds are matched by contributions from businesses, individuals, local government and earned income by the grantee. Arts programs, assisted by Council grants, have a track record of contributing to community development, education, cultural tourism and overall quality of life in virtually all regions of the state, said Barbara Reed, ASCA public information officer.

Council members are appointed for six-year terms by the Governor to help promote the

arts statewide. A primary responsibility of the Council is to make decisions on grants awarded to support art programs and arts education throughout the state.

Council members come from diverse areas of the state and backgrounds, ranging from arts educators, to professional artists, to community arts volunteers. The Council meets quarterly and, in addition to allocating grant funds, it engages in long range planning and develops strategies for expanding public support for the arts. Vaughan I. Morrissette of Mobile chairs the 15-member Council, Reed said.

The Mission of the Alabama State Council on the Arts is to enhance the quality of life and economic vitality for all Alabamians by providing support for the state’s diverse and rich artistic resources.

The Alabama State Council on the Arts is the official state arts agency of Alabama. The staff of the Council, directed by Al Head, administers the grants programs and provides technical assistance in arts planning and programming. The Council receives its support through an annual appropriation from the Alabama Legislature and funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.