Opportunity grants available through the Arts & Heritage Fund
February 5, 2022

KNOXVILLE – The Arts & Culture Alliance (ACA) is pleased to announce Ann and Steve Bailey Opportunity Grants, a funding program through ACA’s Arts & Heritage Fund. Distributed through the Arts & Culture Alliance, Bailey Opportunity grants provide training and technical support to individual artists and small, professionally-oriented arts and culture organizations (whose budgets are under $100,000).

The grants are designed to spur continued artistic and administrative growth in innovative, entrepreneurial artists and organizations at any stage in their development. Projects that allow for the exploration of new avenues of creativity, wrestling with new ideas that can advance one’s creative work, and strengthening business practices are especially encouraged. Most awards in the past have gone toward training and equipment, however all qualifying projects are considered.

The application receipt deadline is midnight on Sunday, March 20, 2022. Applicants are strongly encouraged to speak with Liza Zenni, Executive Director of the Arts & Culture Alliance, prior to applying.

Email LZ@knoxalliance.com to request a phone or Zoom meeting during Tuesday-Friday, February 8-11, 8 AM – 7 PM (EST). For those who cannot schedule, a recorded video of helpful application tips will be posted online the following week.

Awards range from $100 to $75,000. Bailey Opportunity grants will invest $100,000 in East Tennessee arts projects and programs taking place July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.

Interested applicants may view the guidelines and download the application. Previous grantees are eligible to apply.

The goal of Bailey Opportunity Grants is to create a more vital creative community in Knoxville by: encouraging contributions to the city’s economy and quality of life by artists and arts and history organizations; positioning Knoxville as a community that honors its creative industry and supports the efforts of artists and organizations to achieve excellence; and raising public profiles of artists and organizations within the city and beyond.