Streetline Percussion from Knight Foundation on Vimeo.

I’m in Macon with the Knight Arts team, where we just joined with Program Director Beverly Blake to announce $363,000 in support to 11 local arts organizations. The list of awards below celebrates the legacy of rich artistic and cultural traditions that are quintessential to Macon’s identity.

The importance of music to Macon’s cultural landscape cannot be overstated. The city that gave the world the soulful sounds of Otis Redding and the Rock ‘n Roll of the Allman Brothers continues to foster a vibrant and diverse musical community. Its growth can be seen at the grassroots level, with Macon boasting a new alternative independent record store, Fresh Produce Records, whose award will support a series of free, all-ages shows featuring national touring acts over the course of the next year. The awards also include Bragg Jam Music, Kids and Arts Festival, an emerging force in the national music festival scene, which through Knight support will bring Grammy Award-winners the Blind Boys of Alabama to Macon for their annual concert crawl this year.

This list also includes two awards that will foster enthusiasm and appreciation for the arts in students. A two-year grant to local drum-line organization Streetline and another to the Otis Redding songwriters camp will provide more than 100 young Macon musicians with access to free training through immersive summer camp programs that emphasize both artistry and showmanship.

Knight Foundation believes that the arts have the power to inspire us and bind us to one another and to our community. We hope that the awards below will remind Macon that the arts are just around the corner from where you live, work and play.

Streetline Percussion performs at Macon Soap Box Derby. Patrick Hobbs/ The Cluster

Here’s a list of the recipients and their projects:

Macon Film Festival: ($72,000) To hire a festival programmer who will identify and seek film submissions that reflect Central Georgia’s Southern culture and musical legacy, elevating the event and bringing high-quality films to Macon.

Macon Arts Alliance ($67,000) To launch Amplify, a new professional development program that will identify and meet the needs of creative professionals in Central Georgia. Amplify, which launched this year, will support entrepreneurs with resources, training and networking opportunities to advance their careers. In addition, Knight is supporting Macon Arts Alliance’s Momentum for the Arts, as well as startup funding for the Macon Chapter of the League of Creative Interventionists, a global network of people working to build community through creativity.

Otis Redding Foundation ($50,000) To celebrate the legacy of Otis Redding by providing scholarships for The Big “O” Singer/Songwriter Camp to 20 aspiring young Macon musicians. Knight support will double the duration of the camp, which will pair students with professional musicians, composers, producers and choreographers for an immersive two-week program, culminating in a public showcase of their final compositions.

Streetline ($50,000) To enable and encourage Macon’s youngest residents to pursue excellence in the performing arts by expanding the successful Camp Drums and Dreams by 50 students. The eight-week summer camp provides lessons in music theory, percussion techniques and showmanship.

Bragg Jam Music, Kids and Art Festival ($30,000) To bring five-time Grammy-winning artists the Blind Boys of Alabama to the 15th annual festival this year, and help the event continue to bring emerging musical talent to Macon in 2015.

Macon-Bibb County Department of Parks and Recreation ($25,000) To expand cinematic offerings in Macon’s neighborhoods by presenting outdoor screenings in parks and other venues for two years.

Mercer University ($20,000) To support strategic planning that will ensure the sustainability and future of Macon’s Grand Opera House.

Cherry Blossom Festival ($15,000) To provide a place for Macon residents to enjoy nationally recognized gospel music through PraiseFest, a new Cherry Blossom Festival event that will stage performances during the spring festival and in the fall.

Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation ($19,500) To invite Macon residents into the historic Hay House for free cultural events, including a Macon Film Festival screening, a classical music performance, a Spirits of the Hay House theatrical tour and an exhibit of original art by Winston Churchill.

Fresh Produce Records ($10,000) To promote Macon as a musical destination by providing a stipend for touring bands to perform free concerts for all-ages audiences.

The 567 Center for Renewal ($4,740) To support LunchBeat Macon, a monthly mid-day gathering that unites professionals to enjoy an hour of music, dancing and networking from February to May 2014.

– Nicole Chipi, arts program associate