ORANGE BEACH, Ala. - The Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA) awarded 119 grants totaling $288,260 at its Council meeting in Montgomery on Dec.7.

The Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach group Friends of the Arts was awarded $4,400 for the Visions in Hot Glass program.

This round of grants will support arts in education, folk art, community, literature, performing, and visual arts programs Jan.1–Sept. 30, 2013. Also included in this round of awards are folklife apprenticeship grants.

The Council makes grants to non-profit organizations, schools, universities, cities, and a wide range of Community groups. 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 enhancing community development, education, cultural tourism and overall quality of life in virtually all regions of the state.

These recent grants are in response to applications submitted under the Sept. 1 deadline and represent the third round of grants awarded in the 2012-2013 fiscal year. The 15-member Council is chaired by James Harrison, III, of Tuscaloosa.

Board 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.

Board members are selected from all regions of the state in order to strive for a geographic spread representing all areas of the state.

“This round of grant allocations was especially competitive due to budget limitations and the high volume of worthy requests for support of important arts projects.” Harrison said. “The level of support from the legislature for arts grants statewide in FY13 is significant in generating private matching funds that allows programs to continue.”

The next deadline for the submission of grant applications is March 1 for Fellowships and Art & Cultural Facilities covering activities taking place between Oct. 1, 2013 and Sept. 30, 2014.

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.

For more information about a particular grant, contact Barbara Reed, Public Information Officer at  334-242-4076, ext. 223.