KNOXVILLE - The Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville is proud to announce 28 Arts Build Communities (ABC) grant awards for art projects from non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations located within seven East Tennessee counties: Anderson, Blount, Hamblen, Knox, Monroe, Morgan, and Roane. Tax-exempt or non-profit organizations, private educational institutions, entities of government (such as Parks and Recreation, public libraries, public schools), and colleges and universities were eligible to apply for funds.

In 2024-2025, ABC grants benefitted more than 41,120 adults and 16,556 youth across five East Tennessee counties. The Alliance sub-grants the funds through a competitive grant process, which took place via online conferencing in August.

This year, awarded organizations will receive ABC grants ranging from $340 – $5,000 each for a total of $76,810. Projects for 2025-2026 include:

Anderson County
• Appalachian Arts Craft Center for Kids Teaching Kids
• Sundress Publications for Reading Series and Writing Workshops

Blount County
• Appalachian Ballet Company for The Nutcracker
• Downtown Maryville Alliance for Third Thursdays
• Montgomery Ridge Intermediate School for Voices of the Smokies: The Heart of the Quilt

Hamblen County
Sunshine Ambassadors for annual performances

Knox County
• A1 LabArts for Amplify! Arts Incubator
• Asian Culture Center for the Asian Arts & Culture Outreach Program
• Bijou Theatre for the Bijou Imagination Series
• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley for Youth Arts Programming
• Cancer Support Community East Tennessee for Healing Through Art
• Cattywampus Puppet Council for We Are Inskip! Parade & Block Party
• Circle Modern Dance for Modern Dance Primitive Light
• Dragonfly Aerial & Circus Arts Studio for the 15th Annual Aerial Dance and Circus Extravaganza
• Fourth and Gill Neighborhood Association for Arts for Everyone
• Friends of the Knox County Public Library for a Celebration of Women in Old-Time Music
• Knoxville History Project for Beauford Delaney Downtown Art Wraps
• Momentum Dance Lab for their Fall 2025 Show
• nief norf for Echo Garden: An Interactive Journey Through Sound and Nature
• Nourish Knoxville for their Featured Busker Program
• Tennessee Stage Company for the annual New Play Festival
• University of Tennessee for Clarence Brown Theatre’s ASL Nights at the Theatre
• WordPlayers for The Ends We Seek

Monroe County
• Monroe Area Council for the Arts for Sleeping Beauty
• Tellico Plains JAM for Tellico Plains JAM After-School Program

Morgan County
• Appalachian Society of the Arts for Highland Harmony Community Chorus Instruction and Concert

Roane County
• Roane Choral Society for America
• Roane County High School for Student Visual Art Showcase

The ABC grant program is designed to provide support for arts 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.

About Arts Build Communities
The Arts Build Communities (ABC) grant program is funded through specialty license plate sales and administered in cooperation with the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville. The short-term objective of this grant is to create decentralized decision-making and distribution process for allocated grant funds. The long-term objective is to build Tennessee's communities by nurturing artists, arts organizations (including local arts agencies), and arts supporters in each of its 95 counties. For more information, visit https://www.knoxalliance.com/abc.

About the Arts & Culture Alliance
The Arts & Culture Alliance serves and supports a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. The Alliance receives financial support from the Tennessee Arts Commission, Knox County and the City of Knoxville.