The Black Belt Community Foundation is beginning its fifth round of Black Belt Arts Initiative grants. Community organizations based in and serving BBCF's 12-county service area are eligible to apply.  The Black Belt Arts Initiative (BBAI) is a project of the Black Belt Community Foundation in collaboration with the Cultural & Youth Committee of the Black Belt Action Commission and the Alabama State Council on the Arts. The goals of BBAI are to promote arts awareness, arts appreciation, and creativity throughout the Black Belt. Grant applicants are invited to submit proposals that portray similar objectives through the areas of visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, traditional arts, or cultural history.

The upcoming workshops will address the requirements of application, how to apply, and the BBCF grants review process. Applications will be available at the workshops or may be downloaded from BBCF’s website: www.blackbeltfound.org. The deadline for application is March 1, 2010.  First time applicants are required to attend one of the following grant-seekers workshops.

MARENGO COUNTY: Monday, February 1, 2010 ~ Theo Ratliff Center, Demopolis, AL at 5:30pm

GREENE COUNTY: Monday, February 1, 2010 ~ William McKinley Branch Courthouse, Eutaw, AL at 6:00pm

BULLOCK COUNTY: Tuesday, February 2, 2010 ~ County Commission Chamber, Union Springs, AL at 5:30pm

WILCOX COUNTY: Tuesday, February 2, 2010 ~ Courthouse Annex, Camden, AL at 5:30pm

LOWNDES COUNTY: Thursday, February 4, 2010 ~ Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Burkville, AL at 12 noon

DALLAS COUNTY: Thursday, February 4, 2010 ~ Hampton Inn, Selma, AL at 5:30pm

SUMTER COUNTY: Thursday, February 4, 2010 ~ Kelly Land Hall on UWA’s campus, Livingston, AL at 6:00pm

PERRY COUNTY: Thursday, February 4, 2010 ~ Uniontown City Hall, Uniontown, AL at 5:30pm

PICKENS COUNTY: Tuesday, February 9, 2010 ~ Sapps Community Center, Aliceville, AL at 6:00pm

HALE COUNTY: Thursday, February 11, 2010 ~ Golden Years, Hwy 69, Moundville, AL at 6:00pm