ABOUT GEORGIA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS

     MISSION

     Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) is a state agency with the mission to provide access to the arts for all Georgians. The agency strives for 100% statewide coverage in the support of arts programming through grants, which are competitive applications for funding that are adjudicated by peers.

     The charter also encourages the agency to provide services such as programming that supports the arts, artists, and the arts organizations of Georgia. Among these services, GCA maintains and loans pieces from Georgia’s State Art Collection, supports arts organizations, and partners with other state agencies to provide general support for the arts. For example, Georgia Council for the Arts partners with Georgia Public Broadcasting to produce State of the Arts, a quarterly television program and statewide event calendar.

    HISTORY

    In 1953, the state of Georgia established a special study commission to determine the appropriate role the state should play regarding support of the arts. The commission consisted of the Governor and five citizens appointed by him. They had no staff or budget.

     Twelve years later in 1965, soon after the establishment of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Georgia Commission on the Arts was created. The Commission began funding programs in 1968 and functioned much as Georgia Council for the Arts does today.

     In 1972, the Georgia Commission on the Arts was replaced by the Georgia Advisory Council for the Arts which was established as a division of the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget.  The name was changed to the Georgia Council for the Arts and Humanities in 1976.

     The official name of the agency, Georgia Council for the Arts, was created by Legislation passed in 1986.