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Grant Categories
Each year the commission conducts competitive grants making activities open to non profit, chartered-in-Tennessee organizations presenting and producing arts events and activities. In general, all grants must be matched by the recipient 1:1 (one State dollar matched by one private-sector dollar). Applications are reviewed and evaluated by citizen advisory committees and out-of-state adjudicators.
Arts Access (AA): Funds awarded in this category are made possible, in part, through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. This grant category offers direct support for arts projects to arts organizations of color and to organizations whose programs and services primarily benefit persons of color.
Arts Access Application - eGRANT
Arts Build Communities (ABC): This is offered in partnership with Designated Agencies in different regions of the state. The short-term objective of this grant is to create a decentralized decision-making and distribution process for certain State dollars. A long-term objective is to build communities by nurturing artists, arts organizations (including local arts agencies), and arts supporters in each of Tennessee's ninety-five counties. For more information, click here.
Arts Build Communities GuidelinesArts Build Communities Application
Arts Education (AE): The Arts Education Program provides support to schools and nonprofit organizations to strengthen the use of the arts in K-12 settings, after-school programs, and community-centered learning environments. All projects must have professional performing, visual, literary, or traditional artists at the core of the educational experience. Grants are offered in six categories:
Artist-in-Residence (AE-AR): For curriculum-based arts integration projects using an approved TN Arts Commission artist-in-residence.
AE Artist-in-Residence Guidelines
AE Artist-in-Residence Application - eGRANT
Community Learning (AE-CL): For projects that demonstrate creative and innovative arts education programming in non-traditional K-12 school settings or for adult learners.
AE Community Learning Guidelines
AE Community Learning Application - eGRANT
Funds for At-Risk Youth (FAY): Support for after-school or summer camp arts programs designed specifically for elementary and secondary school at-risk children.
AE Funds for At-Risk Youth Guidelines
AE Funds for At-Risk Youth Application - eGRANT
Mini-Grants (AE-MG): Offered year-round to support unanticipated short-term (one week) or one-day arts education projects with roster artists.
(Application Process Closed - Out of Funds)
AE Mini-Grants Application - eGRANTTeacher Incentive (AE-TI): For arts specialists, generalists, principals, and teaching artists attending Commission-approved professional development in arts integration.
AE Teacher Incentive Guidelines
AE Teacher Incentive Application - eGRANT
Teacher Training (AE-TT): For arts organizations who provide outstanding professional development for educators and teaching artists that promote curriculum-based arts education and/or integration.
AE Teacher Training Guidelines
Arts Project Support (APS): This category provides funds for a wide variety of public value arts projects conducted by an organization located in an urban area.
Arts Project Support Guidelines
Arts Project Support Application - eGRANT
NEW - Cultural Education Partnership (CEP): This category offers general, non-project support to well-established, free-standing, and accredited 501 (c) (3) college/university level arts educational institutions. Only academic institutions which have as its mission training and accreditation in one or more arts disciplines and represent the highest level of quality art education and administration are eligible in this category.
Cultural Education Partnership Guidlines
Cultural Education Partnership Application - eGRANT
Partnership Support (PS) - formerly General Operating Support (GOS): This category provides general operations grants in amounts of up to twelve percent of the recipient organization's total cash operating expenses in its most recently completed and audited fiscal year.
Partnership Support Guidelines
Partnership Support Application - eGRANT
Individual Artist Fellowship (IAF): This award provides fellowships to outstanding professional artists who live and work in Tennessee. No matching funds are required and no specific project has to be carried out with the grant award.
Individual Artist Fellowship Guidelines
Individual Artist Fellowship Application - eGRANT
Major Cultural Institution (MCI): Offers general, non-project support to those well-established Tennessee arts organizations, which represent the highest level of quality programming and administration.
Major Cultural Institution Guidelines
Major Cultural Institution Application - eGRANT
Professional Development Support (PDS): A program of the Tennessee Arts Commission, is designed to help Tennessee individual professional arts administrators and artists of all disciplines take advantage of unique opportunities that will significantly benefit their work or career development.
Professional Development Support Guidelines
Professional Development Support Application - eGRANT
Rural Arts Project Support (RAPS): This category provides funds for a wide variety of public value arts projects and programs conducted by an organization located in a rural area.
Rural Arts Project Support Guidelines
Rural Arts Project Support Application - eGRANT
Special Opportunities (SPECOP): This category provides funds for unexpected but important arts activities throughout the Commission's fiscal year.
Special Opportunities Guidelines
Special Opportunities Application - eGRANT
TOPStudent Ticket Subsidy (STS): Administered by regional Designated Agencies, this program provides funds to supplement student attendance at cultural experiences at school or on field trips. For more information, click here.
Student Ticket Subsidy Guidelines and ApplicationTechnical Assistance (TA): This category provides funds for special assistance during the Commission's fiscal year. The funds are primarily used to bring in an outside consultant for intensive work needed to strengthen the applicant organization. For a list of recommended professionals consultants and trained peer advisors, click here.
Technical Assistance Guidelines
Technical Assistance Application - eGRANT
TOPArts Access Technical Assistance (AA-TA): This category provides funds for special assistance during the Commission's fiscal year, that are primarily used to bring in an outside consultant for intensive work needed to strengthen the applicant organization's managerial and operational capabilities. This category provides technical assistance funds to arts organizations of color and to arts organizations chartered in Tennessee to serve people with disabilities.
Arts Access Technical Assistance Guidelines
Arts Access Technical Assistance Application - eGRANT
TOPTouring Arts (TOUR): This category brings professional performers to communities across the state by providing financial assistance to qualified presenters/sponsors. The Touring Arts program is designed to encourage interaction between performers and community members by requiring an outreach activity in addition to more formal concert or performance.
Touring Arts Guidelines
Touring Arts Application - eGRANT
(Application Process Closed - Out of Funds)
Arts Access Touring Arts (AA-TR): This category brings professional Tennessee artist of color or artist with disabilities to communities across the state by providing financial assistance to qualified presenter/sponsors. The Arts Access Touring Arts program is designed to encourage interaction between artists and community members by requiring an outreach activity in addition to the more formal arts events.
Arts Access Touring Arts GuidelinesArts Access Touring Arts Application - eGRANT
(Application Process Closed - Out of Funds)
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