The Orange Beach Arts Center and Friends of the Arts, Inc., are pleased to announce that they have received two grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA), the state arts agency.

 A grant of $3000, awarded to The Hot Shop, will provide financial assistance for artists’ fees and hot glass studio expenses involved with the Glass Art Educational Programs including workshops, classes and demonstrations.

The Hot Shop educational programs incorporate the science and art of glass blowing.  Local and regional field trips and classes of elementary, high school and college students allow The Hot Shop to spark the minds and imaginations of all ages.

A consolidated grant of $11,720 was awarded to the Children’s Arts Programs at OBAC which includes the After School Arts Program, Kids Art Alley at the Festival of Arts and the Summer Arts Camp.

This grant ensures the arts are an essential element in the educational experience of Gulf Coast youth.  Together, these programs serve hundreds of children in our community as well as visitors to the area.

ASCA grants are awarded through a multi-faceted competitive review process.  This grant signifies that the Orange Beach Arts Center and The Friends of the Arts, Inc. provide programs of artistic quality, serves the needs of the community and demonstrates high-level administrative standards, as well as enhancing the education of students at all levels.

This grant, awarded by the Alabama State Council on the Arts, is made possible through funding from an annual appropriation from the Alabama State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts. Such public support enables the Orange Beach Arts Center and The Friends of the Arts, Inc. to reach new audiences, foster community development, provide the highest quality programming and demonstrate the importance of arts as a component for quality of life in Alabama.