Arts & Culture Alliance Announces Arts Build Communities Grants

By Suzanne Cada, Deputy Director, Knoxville Arts & Culture Alliance –

The Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville is pleased to announce awards of 26 Arts Build Communities (ABC) grants for art projects from non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations located within the following seven East Tennessee counties: Blount, Campbell, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Roane and Sevier. 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. 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, and these grants benefit an estimated 1.3 million people, including 88,000 youth, across the state each year. The Alliance sub-grants the funds through an open competitive grant process, which took place in July. Panelists included: Mary Sue Greiner, Mary Kennedy Hendershot, Reggie Law, Cindy Ogle, and Peggy Wilson.

The following organizations will receive a total of $45,540 in ABC grants for these projects in 2017-2018:

• Blount County: Appalachian Ballet Company for “All About the Animals”
• Blount County: Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center for “Holiday Homecoming”
• Blount County: Townsend Artisan Guild for “Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival”
• Campbell County: Postmark LaFollette for “Postmark Winter Camp & Festival”
• Knox County: A1LabArts for “Moving Theatre presents ‘Alice’”
• Knox County: Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley for “Art in Motion”
• Knox County: Cancer Support Community for “Healing Through Art”
• Knox County: Circle Modern Dance for “Modern Dance Primitive Light”
• Knox County: Community Shares for “The Appalachian Puppet Pageant”
• Knox County: East Tennessee Historical Society for “The East Tennessee History Fair”
• Knox County: HoLa Hora Latina for “HoLa’s Gold Friends”
• Knox County: Keep Knoxville Beautiful for “Billboard Mural Project”
• Knox County: Knox County Stormwater for “Strong Streams: Mosaic Mural”
• Knox County: Momentum Dance Lab for “Annual Concert”
• Knox County: Generations Literary Alliance for “Knox Generation – Youth Slam Program”
• Knox County: Pellissippi State Community College Foundation for “Young Creative Writer’s Workshop”
• Knox County: Sunshine Ambassadors for “Annual Performance Project”
• Knox County: Tennessee Stage Company for “New Play Festival”
• Knox County: The WordPlayers for “WALK, DON’T RIDE”
• Knox County: Clarence Brown Theatre for “Artist Support for ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ & Educational Workshop”
• Loudon County: The Tennessee Wind Symphony for “Community Spotlight Concert Series”
• Monroe County: Friends of Sequoyah dba Sequoyah Birthplace Museum for “Cherokee & Appalachian Arts Series”
• Monroe County: Monroe Area Council for the Arts for “Building a Visual Art Alliance”
• Roane County: Roane Choral Society for “100 Years of American Music”
• Sevier County: Foundation for/Friends of the Sevier County Public Library System for “Imagine and Grow @ Your Library”
• Sevier County: Sevierville Commons Assoc. dba Sevierville Commons Arts Council for “Month of Arts – Make It & Take It”

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 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.