MACON, Ga. – The Macon-Bibb County Commission unanimously approved Macon Arts Alliance (MAA) to be the designated local arts agency for Macon-Bibb County. The resolution, sponsored by Commissioner Al Tillman and Commissioner Elaine Lucas, was approved at the first regular meeting of the commission on Tuesday, January 7.
The resolution states that as Macon-Bibb County’s local arts agency, Macon Arts Alliance may “operate on its behalf in providing planning, financial support services, and development for arts organizations and artists in our community.”
“We’re honored to be the local arts agency for Macon-Bibb County,” said Jan Beeland, executive director of MAA. “Macon Arts Alliance has served in this capacity for almost a quarter of a century, and we’ll continue to work hard to fulfill our mission to foster and support the arts for all the citizens of what is now Georgia’s fourth largest city.”
Since 1988, Macon Arts Alliance has been the designated local arts agency for the City of Macon and Bibb County. Those designations enabled Macon Arts Alliance to leverage federal, state, and private grant monies, provide cultural planning services to the community, and offer professional development services to local arts organizations and artists.
“The arts and cultural sector must have a seat at the table when we talk about improving our community, and we realized early in 2013 the importance of requesting the designation from the new, consolidated Macon-Bibb County,” continued Beeland.
Beeland, MAA staff, and board members met with members of the Consolidation Transition Task Force several times during the year to determine the best way to approach carrying over the designation.
“We did the necessary research, and everyone was helpful, making suggestions about the best way to approach it,” said Beeland. “We want to thank Commissioner Tillman for initially sponsoring the resolution and Commissioner Lucas who joined him in the effort. We couldn’t have done this so quickly and efficiently without their leadership and the support of the Mayor and the Commissioners.”