Georgia’s arts funding could fall short, because the state budget doesn’t include enough money for a federal matching grant.

One of the biggest budget battles this year was over funding for the Georgia Council for the Arts.  The State house proposed cutting the funds altogether, but the State Senate restored some money  after intense lobbying from arts community. 

The arts council is Georgia’s officials agency to get federal grants from the National Endowment from the Arts. 

 Georgia was awarded about $878.000 dollars from the NEA in March.   But it can only collect if the matches those funds.  The  budget includes only $790.000 falling  $87.000 dollars short.

The NEA now has to decide whether whether to grant a waiver and award Georgia the entire $878.000  or just match the state funding. The Georgia council says it has no way to raise the extra dollars on it’s own.

Tags: Georgia, Atlanta, georgia state budget, National Endowment For the Arts, Arts funding