MST receives grant to continue Night at the Ritz

Main Street Toccoa has been awarded a grant by the Georgia Council for the Arts.

The grant was part of the Georgia Council for the Arts initial disbursement of grants for fiscal year 2022.

A total of 218 organizations were awarded 266 grants that provide more than $2 million in funding to arts organizations throughout the state.

The Bridge Grant provided funding for operating support to 135 organizations, the Project Grant will help fund 54 arts projects, and the Arts Education Program Grant was awarded to 77 organizations.

Additional grants for Vibrant Communities and Cultural Facilities programs will be awarded in the Fall of 2021.

Georgia Council for the Arts Executive Director Tina Lilly says, “As we emerge from this past year’s quarantine, the arts sector is vital to restarting the economy by attracting tourists, assisting with classroom learning, and igniting events to bring communities back together…The 266 grants we have awarded will help cities and organizations leverage additional funds and bring people back to work while providing fun and educational opportunities for Georgians across the state.”

Main Street Toccoa’s Project Grant will be used to fund Season Five of “Night at the Ritz,” which will take place over multiple months from September 2021 through May 2022.

Shows that have been booked thus far include Jim Curry with the “Music of John Denver,” Grammy Award winner Linda Davis, ventriloquist Lynn Trefzger, and Katie Deal with a “Holly Dolly Christmas.”

More shows will be announced later.

Funds awarded by Georgia Council for the Arts include appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.