New FY27 Arts Education Grants Now Open
By Chris Sweatt, Director of Arts Education –
The Tennessee Arts Commission is pleased to announce two new statewide grant programs launching in FY27 to strengthen arts education across Tennessee. Applications are now open for the Arts Education Project Support (AEPS) and Arts Education Community Impact (AECI) grants. Together, these programs provide a strategic framework to support both project-based initiatives and long-term, community-driven systems change.
Arts Education Project Support (AEPS)
The AEPS grant supports projects that provide high-quality, hands-on arts education experiences for Tennesseans of all ages. Following several years of unprecedented demand and a growing volume of arts education grant applications, this new grant category consolidates the former Arts Education Community Learning, Arts Education Teacher Training, and Arts Pathways for Youth Success grant programs into one streamlined funding opportunity. This update reduces the application and reporting burden for organizations that previously applied for multiple arts education grants.
Eligible applicants include nonprofit arts organizations, local government agencies, public K–12 schools and districts, libraries, and institutions of higher learning. Projects may focus on community-based arts learning, professional development for arts educators and teaching artists, or out-of-school time arts programs for youth. Goals for this grant program include:
- Building workforce-relevant skills in creative fields to promote college & career readiness
- Connecting Tennessee artists and arts organizations with schools to enhance standards-based arts education
- Enhancing instructional quality and fostering teacher retention through arts-focused professional development
- Integrating arts into other areas of learning, including STEM, literacy, and social studies
- Promoting Tennessee’s cultural and artistic heritage
- Providing arts learning opportunities for youth who have limited participation in out-of-school activities or in-school arts education
- Supporting health and well-being, including for seniors, veterans, & people with disabilities through arts learning
Applicants may request up to $25,000, depending on project scope and engagement level. Funding tiers support a range of activities, from workshop series to sustained, year-round arts education programs. Projects must include hands-on instruction led by professional artists or instructors and include measurable goals tied to learning outcomes.
Arts Education Community Impact (AECI)
The AECI grant supports cross-sector partnerships that build sustainable arts education systems across Tennessee. Grounded in collective-impact principles, this three-year grant brings together schools, arts organizations, and community partners to address opportunities and gaps in arts education using data-informed strategies shaped by new or existing statewide initiatives such as the Tennessee Arts Education Data Project, the Tennessee State of the Arts Report Study, and the Tennessee Teaching Artist Roster Map.
Lead applicants may include Tennessee-based public schools or districts, nonprofit arts organizations, local governments, or public higher education institutions partnered with at least two additional organizations. Projects should be community-driven and designed for long-term sustainability and impact. Examples of projects may include:
- Creative workforce development or arts-related career and technical education
- Development of innovative arts learning models or systems
- Expanding standards-based arts education for students with limited participation
- Integration of arts learning with broader community development goals
- Professional learning initiatives that expand training opportunities and statewide coverage for teaching artists, educators, and arts education leaders
- Projects that integrate artificial intelligence or other emerging technologies to advance innovation, evaluation, and instructional design in arts education
- School-based or district-wide arts integration initiatives
- Teaching artist residencies or co-teaching frameworks that model sustainable approaches for integrating artists into K–12 learning environments
Funding over three years totals up to $75,000, with Year 1 focused on planning, Year 2 on implementation, and Year 3 on sustainability and knowledge sharing. Through this three-year investment, the Commission seeks to foster lasting partnerships and systemic change in how arts education is delivered and sustained across Tennessee.
Application Details
Applications for both programs are due Tuesday, January 20, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. (CST) through the Commission’s online grants system. New applicants are encouraged to contact the Director of Arts Education prior to submission. Funding will depend upon an organization’s rating in the review process and upon the total amount of funds available to the Commission for grant allocation.
For full guidelines and eligibility information, visit:
Tennessee Arts Commission – Arts Education Project Support
Tennessee Arts Commission – Arts Education Community Impact
