CANNON COUNTY – A Cannon County performing arts center has received grant funds from the Tennessee Arts Commission for “Creative Placemaking” efforts, the non-profit announced this week.
The Arts Center of Cannon County will receive $5,000 for its “Connecting with Art” program. The Tennessee Arts Commission announced Wednesday 13 awards totaling $75,000 for fiscal year 2016-17. The Arts Center represented the Upper Cumberland’s only grant recipient.
Officials at the theater, located on John Bragg Highway in Woodbury, say they will use the funds to commission and install an environmentally themed sculpture at the intersection of Doolittle Road and Water Street. The outdoor sculpture is designed to complement the town’s recent trend of arts development and encourage further investment.
Last year, two UC groups received moneys. The Smith County Chamber of Commerce received $5,800 for its Carthage Junction Depot redevelopment project, which aims to remake the historic but endangered structure into a multi-purpose space for local artists to display their work. The Macon County Arts Council received $4,850 for Winding Stairs Park, which opened last June and features woods, hillsides, bluffs, natural springs and a deeply entrenched stream gorge.
The Arts Center of Cannon County – a 2013 Ovation Award winner for Excellence in Tourism Promotion – is certainly unique. Located in a town of 2,000 and county of 12,000, it attracts more than 40,000 visitors each year. Upcoming shows include Disney’s The Little Mermaid (July 8-23), Rock of Ages (Aug. 12-27) and The Odd Couple (Sept. 30-Oct. 15)