The LaGrange Art Museum was awarded a Georgia Council for the Arts FY19 Arts Education Program Grant for $5,000. 

This grant will be used to provide a program for Meriwether County public school kindergarteners that combines literacy improvement through art, according to a press release from LAM. The program, which begins with the new school year in August, will take place at three Meriwether County elementary schools: Mountain View, George E. Washington and Unity. It involves 221 kindergarten students, nine classroom teachers, two art teachers, eight para-pros and more than 300 family members.

GCA’s guidelines emphasized student impact, and the Grant Review Panel awarded the museum high scores for the services it provides to the children of Georgia, according to Allen Bell, GCA arts education manager.

For the past several years, GCA has had more deserving applicants than available grant funds, and this year was no different. The total amount of grant funding requested by eligible FY19 Partner, Project, and Arts Education applicants exceeded $2.7 million. In comparison, GCA’s FY19 total budget is $1.9 million, which cannot support the number of exceptional programs happening throughout the state.  

“(The art museum’s) award this fiscal year is a testament to the impact that your programs are having in your community,” Bell said. 

“While the museum is honored to be selected for a very competitive grant, the real winners are these students. Nearly two thirds of the state’s children are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade and Meriwether’s children fall even lower,” said LAM Director of Education Sallie Keith.  

Keith will be implementing the program with art educators Carol Cain and Cecil Simpkins. 

To keep up with the latest news involving the LaGrange Art Museum, go to Lagrangeartmuseum.org.