Agenda Item
iii. Hawthorne Elementary School Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) Mural Grant Approval ~ Updated 6.6.2025
Summary: Presented by: Dr. Yolanda Williamson, Chief of Community Engagement and Innovative Partnerships, Division of Community Engagement & Innovative Partnerships
Request: It is requested that the DeKalb County School Board of Education approve Hawthorne Elementary School’s awarded Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) mural grant ($7,600 awarded from GCA with a matching $7,600 provided by the Hawthorne Elementary School Foundation, totaling $15,200.
Why: The “Brushes & Beyond: A Mural Journey for Young Minds” program aims to introduce students to the mural arts, artistic process, and the arts as a profession. Through the development of a theme for the mural, students will be introduced to how culture and community play an integral role in theme development. The process has the added benefit of community building.
Details: Hawthorne Elementary School Foundation was awarded a $7,600 50/50 matching grant from the Georgia Council for the Arts on July 1, 2024, to complete a student- and community-led mural project by June 30, 2025 (potentially extended to August 30, pending DeKalb County School Board approval in June 2025).
Project Highlights:
Artist Involvement: Local muralist Aysha Pennerman led a schoolwide “What is Mural Art” series during Career Day in March 2025 and facilitated five classroom sessions to introduce mural design, cultural themes, and art as a profession.
Student Workshops: Students generated ideas during regular art classes, focused on celebrating Hawthorne’s diverse student body.
Mural Design: Ms. Pennerman will create a design based on student input, to be approved by school leadership and the Foundation.
Community Painting Days: Using a paint-by-numbers approach, students (especially grades 4-5), families, and community members will help paint the mural.
Mural Reveal: The project will culminate in a community celebration to unveil the finished work.
Timeline: February-August 2025
Location: Hawthorne Elementary School (site TBD in coordination with DeKalb Schools)
Participants: All 315 students, faculty, families, and the broader community.
Financial impact: Georgia Council for the Arts will provide the $7,600 matching grant.
Hawthorne Elementary School Foundation will provide the matching $7,600.
Contact: Ms. Kia Henley, Hawthorne Elementary School Principal, 678-874-2802
Ms. Lauren Anderson, Hawthorne Elementary School Foundation President, 404-791-7189
Ms. Deanna Murphy, Hawthorne Elementary School Foundation Board Member, 404-447-6513
Effective: July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025
Status: Approved by the Office of Legal Affairs
6/4/25, 12:51 PM Gmail - GCA FY25 Arts Education Program Grant - Contract Package
Deanna Murphy <dnmurphy0505@gmail.com>
GCA FY25 Arts Education Program Grant - Contract Package
Olivia Byers <OByers@gaarts.org> Thu, Aug 1, 2024 at 3:44 PM
To: "kristin.querubin@gmail.com" <kristin.querubin@gmail.com>, "dnmurphy0505@gmail.com" <dnmurphy0505@gmail.com>
Cc: Emily Yewell Volin <EVolin@gaarts.org>
Congratulations on receiving GCA’s FY25 Arts Education Program Grant!
Please find attached the FY25 GCA Arts Education Program Grant Contract and the Grant Management Handbook, which
contains all of the instructions that you need to complete and return your grant contract documents, as well as details
about managing your grant throughout the year.
The signed Contract will be submitted via the GCA online grant system at http://gaarts.org/apply. If you did not receive a
GCA grant in FY24, the Supplier Change Request (SCR) Form, W-9 Form, ADA Checklist, and Residency Verification will
also be submitted via the GCA online grant system at http://gaarts.org/apply. Complete instructions for each document in
the contract package are included in the FY25 Grant Management Handbook. Please read the Handbook for complete
instructions on submitting this paperwork. The contract and required documents must be submitted no later than
August 19, 2024.
All grantees must submit to GCA:
A signed contract
Grantees who did not receive a GCA grant in FY24 must submit the following forms, which are available via links within
the online grant system contract package return form:
Supplier Change Request (SCR) Form
W-9 Form
ADA Checklist
Residency Verification (by registering for or confirming registration with E-Verify and submitting an affidavit)
If you received a grant in FY24 and have changes to your banking information, then you will need to submit a new
Supplier Change Request (SCR) Form.
If you received a grant in FY24 and have changes to your mailing address, then you will need to submit a new Supplier
Change Request (SCR) Form and a new W-9.
If you received a grant in FY24 and have changed physical locations, then you will need to submit a new ADA Checklist.
Also, if a Corrections and Stipulations (C&S) Memo is attached to this email, please open and read the file. If the memo
includes specific action that is required, then please add your C&S Memo response to the designated section of the
Contract Return Form in GCA’s online grant system.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=a63bc3e694&view=pt&search=all&permmsgid=msg-f:1806215652851996818&simpl=msg-f:1806215652851996818 1/2
6/4/25, 12:51 PM Gmail - GCA FY25 Arts Education Program Grant - Contract Package
Please contact Delilah Johnson at dbrown@gaarts.org or 404-962-4837 if you have any questions about the contract,
forms, or grant payments.
Please contact GCA Grants and Arts Education Program Manager Emily Yewell Volin at evolin@gaarts.org or 404-962-
4015 if you have general questions about the Arts Education Program Grant. We look forward to working with you this
year.
Allen Bell
Director of Grants and Research
Georgia Department of Economic Development
p 404-962-4839 | m 678-209-3193
abell@gaarts.org | GAArts.org
v1.3
2 attachments
FY25 Grant Management Handbook - FINAL.pdf
608K
FY25 AE 24 Hawthorne Foundation.pdf
558K
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=a63bc3e694&view=pt&search=all&permmsgid=msg-f:1806215652851996818&simpl=msg-f:1806215652851996818 2/2