Tennessee Arts Commission Awards Over $12 Million in Annual Grants for Fiscal Year 2027
From Tennessee Arts Commission
The Tennessee Arts Commission has awarded 575 Annual Grants totaling $12.1 million for Fiscal Year 2027. These grants support a wide range of arts and cultural activities for arts organizations, schools, local governments, nonprofits, and artists across Tennessee. Annual Grants provide funds for operating support to small and large arts organizations; project support for arts projects in rural and urban counties; and a variety of arts learning, health, and wellness projects in community settings.
“We’re excited to award these annual grants. The arts benefit our communities and citizens of this state by supporting quality of life, boosting our economy, attracting visitors, and helping students to learn better. An investment in the arts is an investment in all of us,” said Anne B. Pope, Executive Director of the Tennessee Arts Commission.
The Tennessee Arts Commission received the second highest demand for Fiscal Year 2027 Annual Grants in agency history. There was $24.4 million in Annual Grant requests, over 600 Annual Grant applications submitted, and over 400 unique applicant organizations. These numbers show how communities around the state recognize the many benefits of the arts.
The Commission’s allocations process involves a series of panel review meetings held throughout the months of March and April. Panels were comprised of citizens with various areas of expertise and representing a range of artistic disciplines and regions of the state. Panelists provided ratings and rankings of grant applications, and the board reviewed and approved the final funding recommendations in May 2026.
Other grant opportunities are offered throughout the year with rolling deadlines for eligible organizations. The Commission expects to award an approximate total of 1,000 grants in both rural and urban communities investing up to $13.8 million dollars in Fiscal Year 2027. The Commission works hard to ensure grants are in each of the state’s 95 counties and has done so every year since 2014.
Of the total grant awards made by the Tennessee Arts Commission annually, approximately 80% of grants are funded through the sale of specialty license plates. Other Commission revenues include one-time funds from state appropriation and regional and federal funding, primarily from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Tennessee’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $1.4 billion in annual economic activity, supports over 23,400 full-time equivalent jobs, and strengthens quality of life, economic vitality, tourism, and arts learning for people of all ages.
Additional information on grants and programs offered by the Commission is available at tnartscommission.org.
