FTI awards Holly Theatre with $10,000 grant

• Courtesy FTI

Dahlonega’s Historic Holly Theatre just got a $10,000 helping hand. For their 2014-2015 Preservation Grant, the Fox Theatre Institute (FTI) awarded the theater with funding that will go toward restoration, and future planning. More specifically, the grant will be centered around the masonry for three sides of the Holly Theatre building and an environmentally conscious upgrade for the marquee.

Since 2008, the FTI has worked on 10 projects in the state, totaling more $332,000. The focus of the nonprofit has been the preservation of various arts venues. The Fox has been helping with strategic planning for Holly in the past few years, so the downtown Dahlonega institution can get some much-needed TLC.

“The Holly Theatre has a long history of being an economic engine in the downtown Dahlonega area and we are excited about the opportunity to boost their arts program,” Molly Fortune, the Fox’s director of restoration and operations said in a statement. “When the Fox was in trouble 40 years ago, the Atlanta community rallied together to ‘Save the Fox.’ Now we have the knowledge and resources to help other venues in Georgia not only restore their buildings, but also strengthen their communities.”

The entire Holly Theatre restoration project, including a fresh new paint job and LED bulbs for the marquee, should be all said and done by the end of June. Along with FTI grant, Holly Theatre also received a $20,000 award from Georgia Tourism and Georgia Council for the Arts.