Athens Cultural Affairs Commission has been awarded a $12,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for Hot Corner: An Athens Legacy.

National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $80 million in grants as part of the NEA’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2018. Included in this announcement is an Art Works grant of $12,000 to the Athens Cultural Affairs Commission for Hot Corner: An Athens Legacy, a mural on the exterior of the historic Morton Theatre and related outreach activities. This is the first grant the Commission has sought in an effort to extend the breadth of their mission to encourage pride in our public spaces and enhance our sense of community.

The Art Works category is the NEA’s largest funding category and supports projects that focus on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and/or the strengthening of communities through the arts. “The variety and quality of these projects speaks to the wealth of creativity and diversity in our country,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Through the work of organizations such as the Athens Cultural Affairs Commission, NEA funding invests in local communities, helping people celebrate the arts wherever they are.”

Hot Corner: An Athens Legacy is a community-designed mural to amplify the often silenced African American voice through visual art. The mural and associated outreach programs will engage audiences in the rich history of Hot Corner—the locus of African American entrepreneurship in our community. The Commission looks forward to partnering with Morton Theater and other Hot Corner stakeholders. A national call for artists will be facilitated in the coming months. 

This year’s Hot Corner Festival will take place June 8 and 9. We encourage the community to take part in celebrating the Athens African American community through this special, annual event.