Individual Artist Fellowship

The Individual Artist Fellowship (IAF) provides monetary awards to outstanding professional artists (i.e. those individuals who by education, experience, or natural talent engage in a particular art form or discipline) who live and work in Tennessee. To qualify, an artist must be financially compensated for his or her work, and this compensation must be a significant source of support for their livelihood. See qualification exception below for Literary Arts.

To qualify for a Literary Fellowship, a writer must meet most of the following criteria:

• Have a significant publishing history other than vanity or print-on-demand publication
• Have been recognized with local, regional, or national awards for their writing
• Work in a literature related field such as teaching literature or writing, editing, or publishing
• Hold a degree or have other specialized education in Writing or Literature
• Have received significant financial compensation for their work

No matching funds are required, and no specific project has to be carried out with the funds.

The Commission anticipates that each fellowship will be awarded $5,000.

• Fellowship applicants must be professional practicing artists of exceptional talent working in their chosen discipline.
• Fellowship applicants must be at least 18 years of age and be legal residents of Tennessee with a Tennessee mailing address.
• Applicants must have resided in Tennessee for the past three consecutive years.
• Proof of residency will require a valid Tennessee voter registration card or a legal Tennessee driver’s license.
• Applicants may be requested to submit a copy of their most recently filed Federal Income Tax Form 1040 if there is a question concerning legal residency.
• Individuals may apply in only one fellowship category each fiscal year.
• Those not eligible to apply include: past fellowship and partial fellowship recipients, minors (individuals under 18 years of age), full-time students (elementary, secondary, college, or university), full-time State of Tennessee employees (other than instructors on the faculties of state-supported educational institutions), Commission or staff members or members of their families.

Commission staff contacts:

• For Literary Arts: Lee Baird, (615) 532-0493
• For Performing Arts: Dance, Music, or Theatre: Jared Morrison, (615) 532-9801
• For Visual Arts, Craft and Media: Krishna Adams, (615) 532-9798

The Tennessee Arts Commission reserves the right to deny any application if the activity or work samples are outside of the scope or spirit of the agency’s mission, purpose, or this grant program.

Debarment and Suspension. Awardees are required to sign contracts certifying to the best of their knowledge and belief, that they are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any federal or state department or agency.

Out of state adjudicators who are professionals with expertise in your discipline will review all the applications submitted in your category. The primary evaluation criterion is artistic excellence based on work samples you submit with the application. Specific instructions on what and how to submit discipline based supporting and work materials are at the end of this document. In making final recommendations, adjudicators may also take into consideration the artistic statement, and other portions of the application.

All Commission sponsored programs, services, and facilities are fully accessible to all Tennessee artists and citizens. Organizations are urged to consider contracting with diverse artists, artists living with disabilities, and/or artists representing Tennessee’s diverse artistic and cultural heritage. No person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, religion or sex shall be excluded from participation in, or be denied benefits of, or otherwise be subject to discrimination of services, programs and employment provided by the Commission and its contracting agencies. If an individual believes they have been subjected to discrimination, they should contact the Commission’s Director of Arts Access, Kim Johnson, (615) 532-9797.

By submitting an application under the extant guidelines, applicants implicitly agree to abide by the professional judgment of the independent adjudicator as relates to artistic content and merit.  Appeals to grant awards may be based on procedural grounds. Appeals must contain a justification indicating that actions of the adjudicator were based upon insufficient or incorrect information in the process that is not the fault of the applicant. Dissatisfaction with the denial of a grant or with the amount of the grant is not a valid ground for appeal.

Valid procedural grounds for appeal may include:

• Erroneous Determinations: Incorrect or misleading information discovered in an application that would deem the applicant ineligible. An example of this would be discovering a selected IAF applicant in fact did not live and work in Tennessee.
• Non-presentation of information: Application information that was not presented to the Adjudicator that might have altered their decision.
• Improper procedure: Contention by an applicant that the Adjudicator’s review and or decision was arbitrary and capricious.

As provided in the Rules of the Tennessee Arts Commission, Chapter 0140-1, any appeal which contests the denial of a grant in whole or in part must be filed no later than August 1 of the calendar year in which the grant was applied. The Executive Director shall review the appeal and issue a decision in writing no later than September 1 of the calendar year in which the grant in issue was applied.

1. Register to use the Online Grants System. You are strongly advised to register well in advance to the application deadline. Anyone registering close to the deadline date can expect delays in the processing of their grant application.
2. Log in to the Online Grants System and apply as an individual.
3. Carefully read the IAF guidelines. Links to each of the guidelines can be found in the “Apply for Grants” tab in the left-hand menu. We strongly suggest that you print a copy of the guidelines or have them open in a separate browser tab to have available when filling out the application. If you have questions, please contact the appropriate Commission staff member before beginning an application.
4. Use the “People” tab on the left-hand menu to accurately complete your “People” profile. This information will also be used in the review of the application. To edit your profile, click the “Edit” button at the top of the screen.
5. When your “People” profile is complete and accurate, select the “Apply for Grants” tab again and choose the IAF application link.
6. Complete all of the application fields.
7. Create and upload required attachments.
8. Submit by Tuesday, January 21, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. (CST).

NOTE: The forms in the portal do not auto-save. Always click the “Save” button before navigating away from the form you are editing to save your work.

Beware that clicking the back navigation button on your web browser will exit you from the system and you will lose your work.

You will be prompted to create and upload the following documents in the “Required Documents” section of your IAF Application in the system.

1. A current professional artist resume (including publication history for literary applications).
2. Proof of TN Residency. A copy of applicant’s Tennessee voter registration card, or a legal and valid Tennessee driver’s license.

You will NOT be prompted to upload these documents in the system, but these documents are required based on artistic discipline. Upload files directly into the System’s “Documents” section by clicking the plus sign and attaching files. You may also paste links to websites that house your work samples, such as YouTube.com or Vimeo.com, into the “Work Sample Link(s)” text box. See below for discipline-specific requirements.

Visual Arts: Two-Dimensional Work or Mural Arts

Two-Dimensional Work

• Submit ten digital images of recent work (created within the past three years) formatted as jpeg files. Images should be between 1-4 MB in size and labeled in numerical order and with the title of the piece.
• Upload jpegs into the “Documents” section.

Mural

• Submit ten digital images of recent work (created within the past five years) formatted as jpeg files. Images should be between 1-4 MB in size and labeled in numerical order and with the title of the piece. Murals must have been designed by the artist applying for the grant.
• Upload jpegs into the “Documents” section.

Craft

• Submit ten digital images of recent work (created within the past three years) formatted as jpeg files. Images should be between 1-4 MB in size and labeled in numerical order and with the title of the piece.
• Upload jpegs into the “Documents” section.

Media: Film or Photography

Film

• Submit at least three of your most recent works that have been created in the past three years. The work samples provided should reflect applicant’s individual artistic expression rather than work produced for commercial production purposes. The entire length of the films combined can be no longer than 20 minutes.
• Paste online links into the “Work Sample Link(s)” text box.

Photography

• Submit ten digital images of recent work created within the past three years, formatted as jpeg files. Images should be between 1-4 MB in size and labeled in numerical order and with the title of the piece.
• Upload jpegs into the “Documents” section

Performing Arts

The Tennessee Arts Commission fellowships in Performing Arts seek a diverse range of submissions from professional artists working in the disciplines of Music, Theatre and Dance. While there are no rigid subcategories within each discipline, applicants should showcase artistic excellence and technical proficiency in their chosen field and should submit work samples that best reflect their talent and skills.

Dance: Includes solo dance and choreography and other creators/creations of movement-based work.

• Video link(s) for two examples of dance performance captured in the past three years
  • Samples may be from a rehearsal and/or production
  • Samples must not exceed 10 minutes each, or 20 minutes total.
  • Samples may be different moments from the same production.
  • If the applicant is a performer, samples must clearly identify them in the video(s).
• A narrative description of the artistic approach to sample pieces (include the title of the work(s) and the date(s) and location(s) of the performance(s).

Music: Includes instrumental and vocal performance, conducting, and composition.

       Performance-based submissions

• Video link(s) for two examples performance created in the past three years.
  • Instrumental applicants must submit work samples from traditional performance genres, such as classical, jazz, or other forms of instrumental music that emphasize technical proficiency and live performance ability.
  • Vocal applicants must submit vocal work samples from opera, musical theatre, or other traditional vocal performance genres that demonstrate both vocal technique and live performance ability.
  • Samples must not exceed ten (10) minutes each, or twenty (20) minutes total
  • Samples must clearly show the applicant giving a live performance. Edited videos and any submissions that do now clearly show the performer (i.e. commercial music videos or links to music streaming services) will not be adjudicated.

Composition-based submissions

• Video or audio link(s) for two original works created in the past three years.
  • Samples must include a properly notated musical score (PDF format) that accurately reflects the composition being submitted.
  • Samples must not exceed ten (10) minutes each, or twenty (20) minutes total
  • Commercial music videos, links to music streaming services, and heavily edited recordings (e.g., remixes or works reliant on digital sampling) will not be adjudicated. The focus must be on the composer’s original work as performed by live musicians or ensembles.

Theatre: Includes acting, directing, playwriting, and theatrical design.

Acting or Directing

• Video link(s) for two examples of acting or directing from the past three years.
  • Samples may be from a rehearsal and/or production
  • Samples must not exceed ten (10) minutes each, or twenty (20) minutes total.
  • Samples may be different moments from the same production.
  • If the applicant is a performer, samples must clearly identify them in the video(s).
• A narrative description of the artistic approach to sample pieces (include the title of the work(s) and the date(s) and location(s) of the performance(s).

Playwriting

• Excerpts from one or two scripts created by the applicant in the past three years in PDF format.
  • Excerpt(s) should not exceed 30 pages in length. Please choose a section that best represents the play’s overall themes, dialogue, and structure.
• A narrative description of the artistic approach to submitted work(s)

Production Design (set, lighting, or costume)

• Ten (10) digital images of work created within the past three years, formatted as jpeg files. Images should not exceed 4MB in size each and should be labeled in numerical order with the title of the work; AND/OR
• Video link(s) showcasing production elements created in the past three years
  • Samples may be from a rehearsal and/or production
  • Samples must not exceed ten (10) minutes each, or twenty (20) minutes total.
  • Samples may be different moments from the same production.
• A narrative description of the artistic approach to sample pieces (include the title of the work(s) and the date(s) and location(s) of the performance(s).

Literary: Fiction, Children’s/Young Adult Literature, or Poetry

Fiction

• Submitted samples may be short stories or excerpts from longer works. No more than 25 double-spaced pages of typescript.
• Upload documents into the “Documents” section.

Children’s / Young Adult Literature

• Submissions may be in the categories of picture book, middle grade or young adult. No more than 25 double-spaced pages with no illustrations or pictures. Previously published (typeset) works must be reverted to typescript manuscript form. Samples may be complete works or samples from longer works.
• Upload documents into the “Documents” section.

Poetry

• Submitted samples may be in any poetic form or in free verse. No more than 25 double-spaced pages or 13 single-spaced pages. Multiple poems per page are acceptable. Previously published (typeset) works must be reverted to typescript manuscript form.
• Upload documents into the “Documents” section.