Cultural Arts Council Douglasville/ Douglas County Awarded Public Art Grant
Douglasville, GA, January 8, 2019 — Cultural Arts Council Douglasville/ Douglas County (CAC) is thrilled to announce it has received a Public Art Grant from the Dawn Foods Foundation. These funds will support the new Public Art Initiative in Douglasville and Douglas County by the
CAC for 2018 -2019.
Marlin Jones, the founder of the modern-day Dawn Foods, knew the importance of bettering our communities. From negotiating with local farmers during the Depression to today’s foundation efforts, they have always strived to help the communities thrive. Executive Director Emily Lightner stated, “We are honored to receive this grant and to be recognized as an arts council that deserves funding for this incredible Initiative that will benefit the community and help provide a cultural infrastructure.”
Dawn Foods is a local Douglasville company that has been in the area for over 20 years. Dawn Foods started in Michigan as a family bakery and the Jones’ family continues to guide the company. From volunteering their time and talents to providing financial support, the Dawn Foods Foundation invests in the communities where they have facilities and offices. With a focus on essential, health, education and community improvements, they support their team members in their efforts to give back. Baking is 2 parts art and 2 parts science and they want to support the future generations of great artists, scientists and everything in between.
The purpose of public art is not only to enrich the community and improve our quality of life through its ability to enrich an environment but also to ignite the imagination, encourage thought and to prompt discourse. Public art benefits the community through placemaking, bringing people together, and can be used as a tool in economic development. Public art can also strengthen personal connections to one’s community. According to Ms. Lightner, studies have looked at the economic development benefits of art, but only just recently have there been wider examinations of the effect of art on a community’s sense of place. Public art is a distinguishing part of our public history and our evolving culture. It reflects and reveals our society, adds meaning to our cities and uniqueness to our communities. Public art humanizes the built environment and invigorates public spaces. It provides an intersection between past, present, and future between disciplines and between ideas. Public art is freely accessible to enjoy.
The Cultural Arts Center is located at 8652 Campbellton Street in historic downtown Douglasville, Georgia, located about 20 miles from Atlanta and just off I-20 (Exit 36). Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm For more information, please call 770/949-2787 or visit our web site — www.artsdouglas.org.