Art in Public Places

06/18/2026

🎭🎨 We are so proud to announce the first Community Art Grant recipients of 2026.

This year, Art in Public Places awarded $2,200 to two remarkable Wiregrass organizations working to build a creative, connected community.

Southeast Alabama Community Theatre received $1,500 to bring Shakespeare in the Park to Dothan on Friday, June 26th, at Porter Park Amphitheater. It's free. It's outdoors. It's Shakespeare. Don't miss it.

The Velvet Art Gallery received $700 to install professional-grade exhibition lighting throughout their gallery, a direct investment in the seventeen local artists who call it home and the visitors who come to experience their work each year.

"A strong art community doesn’t happen without investment and community. These two groups embody exactly what the APP Community Art Grant is designed to support,” — Holly Meyers, Executive Director, APP

"Shakespeare is a new area of exploration for SEACT's Education Stage, and we appreciate the support from Art In Public Places to present it as we believe was intended. Shakespeare wrote for the masses and featured universal, relatable human stories meant to be played aloud and shared with the public. We are excited to transform Porter Park into an open-air theatre for an admission-free production of As You Like It!" — Jennifer Love Doherty, Executive Director, SEACT

“We are beyond thankful that the Gallery has been selected as a 2026 grant recipient through Art in Public Places! This funding will allow us to install new lighting to showcase the incredible work of local artists better while enhancing the gallery experience for our Wiregrass community.” — Rachel Kurtz, Owner and artist, The Velvet Art Gallery

The Community Art Grant is open year-round to artists, organizations, and community groups across the Wiregrass. Learn more and apply at artinpublicplaces.art.

🔗 artinpublicplaces.art

06/17/2026

We had our first Levitt AMP Dothan Music Advisory Committee meeting yesterday! This group is geared up to get things done for you, Dothan! Stay tuned for Music Series line-up announcements.

The Advisory Committee is:
Kishia Saffold (APP)
Arielle Dahlin (APP)
Daniel Lewis (City)
Brittney Wilkerson (City)
Brock Stevens (LATO)
Warren Veale (LATO)
Lily Mendoza (TSEJA)
Shanta Wilkerson (TSEJA)
Myles Camel (Visit Dothan)
Brinley Culbreth (Main Street Dothan)
Alexandria Turner (ArtFolk.)
Justin April (Community)
Chase Bass (Community)
Trey McKay (Community)

06/16/2026

We had our first Junior Board meeting last night with our 26/27 Junior Board! M

These teens are working on a presentation for Mayor Mark Saliba and the City Manager!

Expect great things from this group 🎉

05/29/2026

We are so proud of our board! Shout out to Erin Merrill for creating this mural in Rehobeth 🎉

05/29/2026

We’re going to miss these kids, but we are so happy to send them off! Dothan will miss you. Come back!

Thank you to Junior Board Director Erin Merrill for all the organizing and hard work! You’ve done so much good in our community ❤️

05/19/2026

A local non-profit has expanded its scholarship program and will give six $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors in the Wiregrass region.

Link to the full article in the comments.

05/19/2026

🎶 Hey, Dothan! We need you. 🎶

We're saving two seats on the Levitt AMP Dothan Music Series Advisory Team for community members. Joining our Music Advisory Team means you help choose the music, connect with community leaders, influence downtown culture + so much more!

This is the room where culture gets built. Where someone says, "Here's who you should book," or "Here's the neighborhood we haven't reached." We want you in it.

The commitment:
📅 June 15, 2026 – Dec 31, 2028
👥 4 in-person meetings a year
🎟️ Attend at least half of each Spring + Fall concert block
📣 Help us spread the word
💛 Volunteer — your time and voice are a gift

🗓️ Apply by June 3, 2026
🔗 https://artinpublicplaces.art/levitt-amp-dothan-music-series-advisory-committee/
📧 [email protected]

Tag a neighbor who should apply! 🎵

05/18/2026

We’re so proud!

Art In Public Places Expands Scholarship Program For Six Wiregrass Seniors

Dothan, Ala. — Art in Public Places (APP), a Dothan-based nonprofit focused on public art in the Wiregrass, has expanded its Junior Board Scholarship Awards program from two scholarships to six $1,000 scholarships for graduating seniors.

According to APP, the organization’s Board of Directors voted to expand the scholarship program after leadership said it was difficult to narrow down the most dedicated student members.

The APP Junior Board is a youth leadership program for high school juniors and seniors across the Wiregrass. Students participate in nonprofit governance, arts advocacy and community programming while volunteering in support of APP events and initiatives.

Members apply during the spring, complete panel interviews and are selected by past Junior Board members and the APP Board of Directors. Once selected, students serve one- to two-year terms and can hold leadership positions including president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and public relations chair.

“These students set the standard for what the Junior Board can be,” said Holly Meyers, Executive Director and founder of Art in Public Places. “They didn't just fulfill a requirement, they showed genuine ownership of this work and real pride in their community. Expanding these scholarships wasn't a hard decision for our board. It was the only decision.”

“Leading the Junior Board has been the greatest joy of my work with Art in Public Places,” said Erin Merrill, Secretary of the APP Board of Directors and founder of the Junior Board program. “Getting to work alongside these students, watching them step into leadership, find their voices, and invest in their community has been a gift. Being able to send them off with a scholarship is something I'll always be proud of.”

This year’s scholarship recipients represent six schools across the Wiregrass and will attend colleges and universities throughout Alabama.

Jansen Kirkland, a graduate of Houston Academy and a two-year Junior Board member, plans to attend Auburn University to study Biomedical Sciences on the pre-med track. APP said Kirkland reflected on how her time with the organization allowed her to witness firsthand the impact public art organizations can have on a community.

Ella Cobb and Lilly Richards, both graduates of Rehobeth High School and founding members of the Junior Board, will also attend Auburn University. Both students plan to study Nutritional Sciences on a pre-Physician’s Assistant track. APP said Cobb served as the board’s Social Media Chair during the 2024-25 year and as Secretary during the 2025-26 term, while Richards served as Treasurer during the 2025-26 year.

Oliver Parsons, a graduate of Providence Christian School and former Junior Board President, plans to attend the University of Alabama to study Communications. APP described Parsons as a photographer and longtime participant in Dothan’s arts community who viewed his involvement with APP as a natural extension of his connection to the region’s arts scene.

Jenna Snider, a graduate of Dothan High School and another founding Junior Board member, plans to attend Faulkner University to pursue a degree in Elementary Education.

Xiomara Birdsall, who served as Public Relations Chair during the past year, graduated from Cottonwood High School and plans to study Radiology at Wallace College.

According to APP, each scholarship recipient completed at least 20 hours of volunteer service supporting APP and the broader arts community and was selected based on leadership, service and dedication.

05/18/2026