The Historic Preservation Division (HPD) of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Tourism Division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), and the Fox Theater Institute announce that they have jointly awarded five grants totalling $10,000 for heritage tourism projects located throughout the state. The partnership grant program was created in response to the increasing interest Georgians have in the preservation and promotion of historic theaters located within their communities. This special Historic Theater Heritage Tourism Grant Program is funded by GDEcD and will be administered by HPD, with technical support from the Fox Theater Institute.
The City of Toccoa has been awarded $2,000 to produce a historic structures report for the Schaefer Center (formerly the Ritz Theater) in downtown Toccoa. The historic structures report will provide information regarding documentary, graphic and physical information about the building. The City intends to use a historic preservation planner/architect to produce the historic structures report, which will then be the framework for all future restoration work, as it will identify the theater’s architectural history. This will provide the necessary data for preserving the historic structure and for the on-going care of the building.
In addition to the City of Toccoa, four other projects were funded:
The Statesboro Arts Council received $2,500 for a puppet show history of Bulloch County at the Averitt Center for the Arts.
The President Theatre, Inc. of Manchester received $2,000 for a brochure, signage and marketing to promote the theater.
The Springer Opera House Arts Association, Inc. of Columbus received $1,715 to produce a brochure for the opera house.
The Theatre Guild Valdosta received $960 to produce a brochure and slideshow on the history of the Dosta Theater.
The Washington Little Theater, Inc. received $825 to produce a promotional brochure and upgrade the theater’s website.
HPD Director David Crass said "This 50%/50% matching grant program was created by the three organizations to promote and raise awareness of Georgia’s historic theaters through heritage tourism. Even though these are modest ‘seed’ grants, their ripple effect often spurs other preservation/tourism projects at the theater, as well as other historic resources within the community."
GDEcD’s Tourism Product Development Director Bruce Green said, "Georgia’s historic theaters represent one of the more significant landmarks within a community. We are pleased to have been able to offer this funding, thereby providing the ‘seed’ capital to assess and promote the cultural infrastructure found in our local communities."
Fox Theatre Institute Director of Restoration Molly Fortune said, "this grant program reinforces our mission to assist historic theater throughout Georgia."
Main Street Toccoa’s Information and Graphics Specialist Katy Sides said "this grant provides a wonderful opportunity for downtown Toccoa and the cultural community of Toccoa-Stephens County as the historic structure report would enable us to learn the architectural history of the building and the best way to move forward."
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