The Georgia Department of Economic Development recently announced that Tina Lilly will be the new Executive Director of Georgia Council for the Arts, effective immediately, according to a press release. Lilly has served Georgia Council for the Arts for the last 14 years, most recently as director of the organization’s $2 million grant program.
A lifelong arts advocate, Lilly will lead Georgia Council for the Arts’ (GCA) mission to empower the arts industry in Georgia and artists around the state to cultivate healthy, vibrant communities that are rich in civic participation, cultural experiences, and economic prosperity. While the impact of COVID-19 has devastated creative industries around the world, throughout the pandemic GCA has continued its work to provide a lifeline through grants and connections to aid the industry’s $62.5 billion impact on the state, especially as people crave healthy creative escapes.
Since the start of the pandemic, Lilly has overseen the administration of more than 225 state and federally funded grants and 63 Resiliency Grants, a one-time grant funded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. She has also worked with the staff, GCA’s leadership council, and partners across the state to provide counsel, resources, and adjust GCA operations and procedures to be more effective in responding to ever-changing needs.
In addition to making adjustments for administration of fiscal year 2021 grants due to the impact of COVID-19, under Lilly’s leadership in December 2020, Georgia Council for the Arts amended their fiscal year 2022 grant guidelines. With a majority of arts organizations in Georgia remaining closed and most reducing staff due to pandemic-related losses, GCA made significant changes in the grant programs offered to make the application process less time-intensive, to require less of a cash match for applicants, and to support new types of programs such as virtual events.
Information: www.gaarts.org
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