Creative Places Arts Facilities Grant Recipient 2025

Dothan, Ala. – Tri-State Expo Juneteenth Affairs, Inc. (TSEJA) has received a Creative Places Arts Facilities grant from Alabama State Council on the Arts to fund the Juneteenth African American Arts Museum and Repository scheduled to open in Fall of 2026 in the historic Dixie Depot Community.

The Creative Places Arts Facilities program strengthens Alabama’s creative economy by providing grants for the construction, renovation, restoration, or enhancement of arts facilities across the state. Public funding, through a special appropriation from the Alabama State Legislature, makes these grants possible and is essential for fostering arts, culture, and community growth.

With these funds, TSEJA will utilize JA3M to be a catalyst for Juneteenth historical artifacts relative to the State of Alabama, display African American history, display the work of grassroots artist from across the south, and collect as well as archive stories of southern African Americans and minorities.

"We have been planning for JA3M for years, and the awarded Creative Places Arts Facilities Grant is making that plan a reality which makes us overwhelmed with gratitude," says Evangeline Reynolds-Gunn Executive Director of TSEJA.

This grant, awarded by the Alabama State Council on the Arts, enables TSEJA to reach new audiences, foster community development, provide the highest quality programming, and demonstrate the importance of arts as a key component for quality of life in Alabama.

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About Alabama State Council on the Arts 

Alabama State Council on the Arts is the official state agency for the support and development of the arts in Alabama. The Council on the Arts works to expand and preserve the state’s cultural resources by supporting nonprofit arts organizations, schools, colleges, units of local government, and individual artists. Arts programs, assisted by Council grants, have a track record of enhancing community development, education, cultural tourism, and overall quality of life in all regions of the state.  Alabama State Council on the Arts grants are made possible by an annual appropriation from the Alabama Legislature and additional funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. To learn more, visit arts.alabama.gov.