Fox Awards $500,000 for 12 Historic Georgia Theatres, Celebrating Fox Theatre Institute’s 15th Year

The Fox Theatre is delighted to announce 12 grant recipients for the current fiscal year, totaling $500,000 in financial support. These grants will be funded in three categories: Historic Preservation, Technical Assistance and Services and Urgent/Emergency Needs. The Fox Theatre, through the Fox Theatre Institute, provides this funding that often alleviates financial shortages and provides preservation mentoring through their community engagement programs.

FTI kicked off its 15th year in July and reaffirmed its commitment to local communities across Georgia and the Southeast. Since 2008, the Fox Theatre has awarded over $3.2 million to more than 57 historic theatres in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina. The grant program supports rehabilitating and restoring local historic landmarks in direct and adjacent commercial districts.

“Now in our 15th year, FTI has had a tremendous opportunity to increase the preservation of historic theatres and see positive results for their ongoing economic and cultural impact created for their surrounding downtowns,” said Leigh Burns, Director of the Fox Theatre Institute. “We have exciting plans for the next 15 years and look forward to continuing our investment while expanding the footprint of programs here at the Fox Theatre.”

This year’s Fox Theatre Grant Recipients are as follows:

FTI Preservation Grant: Also known as the “bricks and mortar” grant, this annual matching fund grant category assists theaters in completing projects that directly affect the preservation or facility needs of the building or structure itself.

Arts & Cultural Authority of Claxton and Evans County (Claxton), Amount to Receive: $57,400

This is the second time this non-profit organization in Southeast Georgia has received a Fox Theatre grant. This grant will assist with restoring and repairing the historic pine floors in the building’s hallways, its auditorium stage and address deteriorated areas that need replacement. The auditorium is one area of a larger historic complex consistently working through ongoing building rehabilitation.

Arts Center of Moultrie (Moultrie), Amount to Receive: $50,000

Continuing their efforts to expand and improve the operation of the arts center complex, this is the second grant Arts Center of Moultrie has received from the Fox Theatre. This grant will help the Arts Center of Moultrie convert the education wing of their building into a variety of needed support spaces including costume, prop and dressing rooms.

DeSoto Theatre (Rome), Amount to Receive: $40,000

The DeSoto Theatre was one of the first grant recipients, often considered a pilot project of the Fox Theatre in 2008. This recent grant funding will enable the non-profit organization to remove the 1929 Celotex ceiling, install fire barriers at elevated seats, create safe egress pathways and assist in the replacement of necessary auditorium lighting. This “Jewel of Broad Street” provides a variety of performing events to its community every year.

Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre (Marietta), Amount to Receive: $31,500

This second grant from the Fox Theatre to the Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre will assist in a much-needed sound system upgrade, including equipment, materials and installation. Located in the heart of the historic Marietta Square since 1935, this theatre provides a variety of events that the whole family can enjoy.

Grove Theatre (Atlanta), Amount to Receive: $70,000

Four miles west of the Fox Theatre, the Grove Theatre will receive its fourth grant, enabling them to perform planned non-historic material demolition and asbestos and mold remediation. Initially opened in 1941, following years of alternate use, the theatre needed significant repairs and hopes to reopen soon for the Atlanta community to enjoy it once again. The Grove Park Foundation leads the Grove Theatre’s efforts.

Imperial Theatre (Augusta), Amount to Receive: $30,000

Receival of this grant marks the fourth Fox Theatre grant presented to the Imperial Theatre. This year’s grant assists the Imperial Theatre in purchasing and installing a new sound system in their theatre. Located in the heart of downtown Augusta, this theatre continues to effectively fulfill its mission to be utilized by the community.

Royal Theatre (Hogansville), Amount to Receive: $75,000

This third grant from the Fox Theatre for the Royal Theatre will assist them in providing thermal and moisture protection to the building, along with partially funded flooring, masonry repair, HVAC and electrical improvements. Having once been converted into a city hall, this historic space is now back on track to reopen as it was initially, the Royal Theatre.

Southside Theatre Guild (Fairburn), Amount to Receive: $20,000

The all-volunteer-operated Southside Theatre Guild celebrates 50 years in 2023 and is located in the Fairburn Historic Commercial National Register District. In partnership with the Southface Institute and through its GoodUse Program, the Fox Theatre’s funding will support matching funding for an LED lighting upgrade and refitting light fixtures with LEDs to make a more energy and cost-efficient theatre.

Union Point Theatre (Union Point), Amount to Receive: $25,000

The Union Point Downtown Development Authority will receive its third Fox Theatre grant to assist in the forthcoming reopening of the Union Theatre. The grant funding will assist in rehabilitating the acoustic wall tiles and painting necessary sheetrock in other parts of the auditorium. Situated in the eastern part of Greene County, the Union Theatre originally opened in 1947 and hopes to reopen the theatre again for full use for the Union Point community.

FTI Technical Assistance and Services Grant: These non-matching grant funds enable awardees direct access to field experts and other resources to meet a range of specific technical, organizational or operational needs.

Tos Theatre (Pembroke), Amount to Receive: $25,000

The Friends of the Tos Theatre will engage a consulting firm to conduct a feasibility study for the historic Tos Theatre. A public-private partnership between the City of Pembroke and the Friends of the Tos Theatre supports the ongoing rehabilitation of the Tos Theatre.

FTI Urgent/Emergency Needs Grant: Urgent or emergency support is available to historic theatres and related to structures in emergency situations when immediate and unanticipated work is needed to save a historic structure. These grants do not require a matching grant and are made annually.

Springer Opera House (Columbus), Amount to Receive: $50,000

This 2023/2024 grant awarded to the Springer Opera House is the first partnership with the Fox Theatre and Springer Opera House. The Springer Opera House, the official theatre of the State of Georgia, is in the heart of downtown Columbus. The grant will help ensure necessary repairs are completed to the building, including focusing on the roof, proper drainage and HVAC replacement. This facility work will help support The Springer Theatre Academy, which hosts 800-1,100 Pre-L to 12th-grade students over 17 weeks throughout the year, teaching theatre-intensive courses.

Waycross Area Community Theatre (Waycross), Amount to Receive: $22,000

This second grant from the Fox Theatre will provide necessary electrical upgrades throughout the entire building, including the lobby, auditorium, stage, downstairs area and the academy building. The Waycross Area Community Theatre just completed celebrating its 50th season and is a crucial part of the performing arts in downtown Waycross in South Georgia.

Additional Fox Theatre Institute Programming

Since FTI’s launch in 2008, the Fox Theatre continues to support other theatres not just through financial funding but also offers additional engagement programs, including both virtual and in-person versions of “Fox in a Box,” a free interactive, curriculum-based resource for Georgia’s elementary schools; Georgia Presenters, an innovative statewide talent booking consortium; and Friends of the Fox, encouraging a more in-person connection to the Fox Theatre and their impactful community engagement programs and opportunities for support of FTI and ongoing rehabilitation of the Fox Theatre.

For more information, please visit www.foxtheatre.org.