Arts grants offered in East Tennessee

Awards from $500 to $3,500 available for arts projects

The Tennessee Arts Commission announces availability of the Arts Build Communities (ABC) grants and will invest over $45,000 in East Tennessee arts projects and programs taking place August 16, 2021 through June 15, 2022. The funding, administered by the Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville, provides vital financial support for projects that broaden access to arts experiences, address community quality of life issues through the arts, or enhance the sustainability of asset-based cultural enterprises.

The ABC grants will be distributed throughout all arts disciplines as recognized by the Tennessee Arts Commission, including dance, music, opera/musical theatre, theatre, visual arts, design arts, crafts, photography, media arts, literature, interdisciplinary and folk arts.

ABC grants are available through the Arts & Culture Alliance for eligible organizations in Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier, and Union counties. Applicants must be state-recognized, nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations or government entities and must be able to provide a dollar-for-dollar match toward the proposed project. Awards range from $500 to $3,500.

The online application deadline is 11:59 PM (CST) on Thursday, July 1, 2021.

A free grant workshop for interested applicants will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, May 19, from 3:30-4:30 PM. Please RSVP and/or direct any questions to Suzanne Čada at sc@knoxalliance.com or (865) 523-7543.

Interested applicants may view grant guidelines and find more information by visiting the Tennessee Arts Commission’s website.

The ABC Grant Program leverages local dollars in communities served. In FY20, $275,032 in ABC grants resulted in $1.66 million in additional investments with the vast majority leveraged by private contributions and earned income. A total of 205,994 individuals benefited from ABC activities, including 57,398 youth. An estimated 4,581 volunteers contributed 121,494 hours to these projects. The ABC program is funded by the Tennessee Arts Commission through Tennessee’s Specialty License Plate sales.


Published April 28, 2021