Tennessee Arts Commission Announces New Arts Education Community Impact Grant Recipients

From Tennessee Arts Commission 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Arts Commission is pleased to announce the six inaugural recipients of its new Arts Education Community Impact Grant, a three-year funding opportunity supporting community-driven arts learning initiatives across Tennessee. 

The inaugural cohort includes projects in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, Nashville, Norris, and Selmer, with each recipient set to receive $75,000 over a three-year period. This funding will support partnerships among arts organizations, schools, and community partners working together to address local opportunities. Together, the projects will expand arts learning for Tennessee K-12 students while supporting local priorities such as creative workforce development, public safety, student literacy, arts integration, student health and well-being, and rural arts infrastructure development.  

“These projects reflect the exciting potential of learning in and through the arts for Tennessee communities,” said Chris Sweatt, Director of Arts Education for the Tennessee Arts Commission. “Each initiative supports high-quality arts learning while also demonstrating how cross-sector arts learning partnerships can advance local priorities and strengthen communities. Just as importantly, these projects will help build models that other communities across Tennessee can learn from in the years ahead.” 

The Tennessee Arts Commission is proud to support these inaugural projects and the communities bringing them to life: 

“Stax Music Academy: Music Employs Cross Sector Expansion”
Soulsville Foundation | Memphis, TN 

Soulsville Foundation will create meaningful workforce development pathways into creative industries for Memphis students by connecting an innovative music production program with local schools. Through direct instruction in music production led by Stax Music Academy professionals, students will have opportunities to earn professional certifications in production technologies used by organizations across the country and participate in internships with Memphis music and arts industry professionals. Key partners include Live Nation and Beale Street Caravan, who will help connect students to professional experiences and industry-informed learning. The project will launch at Soulsville Charter School with plans for expansion into neighboring Memphis schools.  

“Asphalt Art & Community Safety”
Cattywampus Puppet Council | Knoxville, TN 

Cattywampus Puppet Council will lead an arts and public safety initiative in Knoxville’s Inskip neighborhood in partnership with Inskip Elementary School and Gresham Middle School. Cattywampus will work with the schools’ art teachers and students to create student-designed asphalt murals, pedestrian paths, and painted benches in order to improve pedestrian safety in the community, which has limited sidewalk infrastructure. The University of Tennessee Department of Geography will guide data collection related to project placement, traffic patterns, and outcome monitoring. Partnerships with SOCM (Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment) and Bike Walk Knoxville will strengthen the project’s community-driven approach. As part of this project, Cattywampus will also produce a curricular toolkit that will enable the expansion of this model to additional schools in the Knoxville area. 

“Stratford Writers’ Room Cluster Extension”
Southern Word | Nashville, TN 

Southern Word and Stratford STEM Magnet will expand their successful Writers’ Room program model beyond the high school to include Stratford’s two feeder schools, Stratford Middle School and Isaac Litton Middle School. This approach aligns directly with Metro Nashville Public Schools’ goal of strengthening alignment across school clusters, helping create more connected pathways for student learning and support. The Writers’ Room is a proven model for engaging young people in writing, speaking, listening, and performing through poetry, music, and theater. At Stratford STEM Magnet, Southern Word’s work has already supported strong outcomes, including some of the district’s highest student gains in English Language Arts proficiency. This next phase will build on that success by extending the model across the broader Stratford cluster, reimagining how arts learning can support student growth and development. 

“The Pop-Up Project: Expansion of Established School-Based Dance Programming”
The Pop-Up Project | Chattanooga, TN 

The Pop-Up Project will expand school-based dance education in Hamilton County Schools through the development of two new in-school residency programs at East Lake Elementary and East Lake Academy of Fine Arts. Now in its fourth year of providing school-based residencies, The Pop-Up Project currently serves more than 600 students each week in Hamilton County Schools. By establishing a school-based K-8 dance pipeline for two new Title I schools in Chattanooga, this project will strengthen sequential learning and expand participation for students with limited opportunities in dance education. The program’s curriculum, licensed through and adapted from the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, emphasizes health and well-being through sustained movement-based learning, as well as workforce-relevant skills such as creativity and collaboration. The Pop-Up Project will also help students navigate auditions for advanced dance programs, scholarship opportunities, and long-term dance pathways.  

“Arts Integration Excellence Initiative: Building a Model School and Performing Arts Program at NES”
Norris Elementary School | Norris, TN 

Building on its success as a former Tennessee Arts Commission Arts360 grant recipient, Norris Elementary School will continue expanding its arts program to become a model for arts integration and creative learning in the region and beyond. By 2027, Norris Elementary in Anderson County is expected to become the first elementary school in the nation to earn a National School Certification in Arts Integration through the Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM. Community partners for the project include Norris Little Theatre, one of Tennessee’s oldest community theaters, which will serve as an arts organization-in-residence at the school, as well as Anderson County Television, which will support the development of the school’s new broadcasting program, the Norris News Team. Additional partners include the Norris Elementary PTO, the Norris Lions Club, the Norris Woman’s Club, and the Norris Area Community Foundation.  

“Building the Stage: McNairy Performing Arts Project”
Arts in McNairy | Selmer, TN 

Arts in McNairy will spearhead the development of a comprehensive performing arts program at McNairy Central High School. The project is designed to lay the foundational infrastructure for long-term growth while also strengthening broader community engagement around the performing arts in rural McNairy County. A key partner in this effort is the Tennessee Theatre Educators Association, which will provide professional development, curriculum guidance, mentorship, and connections to statewide best practices as the school builds its performing arts program. By investing in rural arts infrastructure and educator capacity, the project will help students explore performance, technical theatre, and creative career pathways while building workforce-relevant skills such as creativity, collaboration, and communication.  

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The Arts Education Community Impact grant emphasizes shared leadership, data-informed planning, alignment with Tennessee Academic Standards, and project models designed to continue beyond the grant period. Each project will culminate in documentation and knowledge sharing to help inform future arts learning initiatives across Tennessee. Projects were selected for funding through a competitive application process and evaluated by a panel of Tennessee citizens. For more information about the Arts Education Community Impact Grant and other Tennessee Arts Commission grant opportunities, visit tnartscommission.org.