Tennessee-Griot Collective of West Tennessee President, Bill Marable has been chosen to receive the Jackson Arts Council’s Creative Support Grant.
The Creative Support Grant provides funds to individual artists. In Fiscal Year 2025, 6 individual artists will be awarded $1,500.
Marable will receive $1,500 for artistic development during the current fiscal year.
“I am elated,” said Marable. “This is a great opportunity for me to advance my poetic talent and I am truly grateful to the JAC for selecting me as one of the grant recipients.”
According to their website, the Creative Support Grant is an unrestricted grant for individual artists to support the expansion and innovation of quality artistic work. The Jackson Arts Council acknowledges the steps involved to advance an artist’s vision, practice, and artistic accomplishments.
Marable says he will use the grant to either publish a book of poetry or produce a spoken word CD.
“Although my poetry has been published in a number of anthologies and on-line, I have not produced my own volume of poetry. The Creative Support Grant will assist me in that endeavor,” said Marable.
“I’d also like to share my poetry and the poetry of the Griot Collective members with area high school students.”
The Creative Support grant program enables the Jackson Arts Council to demonstrate the value of artists’ work in our county by supporting working artists in their artistic practice. This program contributes to the vitality of our artistic community and helps Jackson attract and retain creatives invested in our community. Through this program, we honor the work of seasoned artists, advance the work of mid-career artists, and nurture the work of emerging artists.
