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An Alabama nonprofit using arts and culture to renovate a Birmingham community is now one of 17 Southern organizations that have been collectively awarded $1.17 million in grants. The Flourish helps young artists grow through its collaborative arts programs with Birmingham-area youth and community efforts , such as the Ensley Childhood Project. Last week the nonprofit was selected to be a part of the Culture Sustainability program, an initiative helping to boost the budgets and provide learning opportunities for organizations that use art as a tool to improve the well-being of communities of color. The program is provided by South Arts, an Atlanta-based nonprofit increasing the sustainability and accessibility of the arts through grants and programming. The Flourish is part of a collective of Black educators, artists and entrepreneurs who are putting in the work to revitalize Ensley, a Birmingham neighborhood that once possessed the power of the city’s industrial era and the liveliness of jazz culture. Ensley Works, a steel mill that was established in the late 19th Century, was one of the largest steel manufacturers in the country. As production thrived, music came alive at Tuxedo Junction, which was located at the intersection of two trolley lines in Ensley. Legendary jazz musicians such as Erskine Hawkins played at Tuxedo Junction, turning it into a space where Black Alabamians could relax during a time of racial discrimination. The music was so influential, it touched souls young and old, including two kids named Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks who lived close to Tuxedo Junction and danced together on a nearby corner. The two friends would later move to Detroit to co-found one of the most recognizable Motown groups called the Temptations. Once Ensley Works started to shut down during the 1970s, natives of the area pointed to job loss, white flight and disinvestment as some of the reasons that led to Ensley’s decline. But along with the youth programs, workshops and partnerships the Flourish provides, the nonprofit is also working on building a Black arts district in the neighborhood. Arts South Director of Arts Partnership Aiyana Straughn said the Cultural Sustainability program amplifies the efforts of artists who deserve more recognition for the ways they serve their communities. “This work helps nurture their creativity, deepen their impact, and open doors that have historically been closed,” Straughn said. “We are honored to include The Flourish as one of our Cultural Sustainability grant partners. Their work is reflective of their community, and their mission to cultivate sustainable, artistic ecosystems aligns with the spirit of the grant program.” Local theaters, dance studios, preservation projects and other creative disciplines make up this year’s list of awardees along with the Flourish. Arts South accepted applications across its nine-state region, which include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Here’s a list of the other 16 grantees in the program: Augusta Mini Theatre in Augusta, Ga. African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta (ADAMA) Descolonizarte Teatro in Orlando Arching Oaks Art & Culture Center in Eustis, Fla. Theatre of the Performing Arts of Shreveport in Louisiana HHN2L INC in Louisville, Ky. I Was Here, Inc in Lexington, Ky. The Mash Up in Jackson, Miss. Knox Asian Festival in Knoxville, Tenn. The Pop Up Project in Chattanooga, Tenn The Original Gullah Festival of South Carolina in Beaufort, S.C. Wassamassaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians in Summerville, S.C. Catawba Cultural Center in Rock Hill, S.C. South Indian Fine Arts Academy in Cary, N.C Techmoja Dance and Theatre Company in Wilmington, N.C.
