NEA Supports the Arts in TN with $540,000 in Funding

From National Endowment for the Arts –

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced 1,474 awards totaling $36,790,500 to support arts in communities across the nation. These awards include Grants for Arts Projects, Challenge America, Research Grants in the Arts, Research Labs, Literature Fellowships in creative writing, and translation projects.

Tennessee received 22 grants totaling $540,000. Here are the Tennessee grant recipients and the amounts they received:

1. ArtsBuild in Chattanooga: $90,000 to support competitive grant programs for artists and organizations
2. Appalachian Arts Craft Center in Clinton: $10,000 to support arts education for senior communities
3. Jackson Symphony Association: $10,000 to support orchestra and choral instruction for youth
4. City of Johnson City: $10,000 to support an outdoor sculpture exhibition
5. National Storytelling Association in Jonesborough: $30,000 to support Storytelling Live
6. Big Ears Festival in Knoxville: $25,000 to support the festival
7. ArtsMemphis: $50,000 to support a grant program for arts organizations
8. Collage Dance Collective in Memphis: $25,000 to support the creation of the ballet “Romeo & Juliet”
9. Creative Aging Memphis: $15,000 to support studio arts courses for older adults
10. Indie Memphis: $35,000 to support the Indie Memphis Film Festival
11. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art: $40,000 to support an exhibition on the Memphis College of Art’s history
12. Memphis Symphony Orchestra: $25,000 to support performances in Northside Square
13. Belcourt Theatre in Nashville: $20,000 to support curated film series
14. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: $30,000 to support a songwriting education program
15. Kindling Arts: $10,000 to support a performance development lab
16. Music For Seniors: $10,000 to support a daytime concert series
17. Nashville Ballet: $15,000 to support dance works by Penny Saunders and Jennifer Archibald
18. Nashville Jazz Workshop: $10,000 to support a family concert series
19. OZ Arts: $45,000 to support artist residencies
20. Tennessee Arts Academy Foundation: $10,000 to support professional development for arts educators
21. Unmanageable: $15,000 to support the Biscuits & Banjos festival
22. Urban Green Lab: $10,000 to support the creation of a mural

The NEA is the largest funder of arts and arts education in the U.S.. The organization assembles panels of experts to review grant applications according to published review criteria. The NEA offers funding opportunities in 15 artistic disciplines and fields, including:

• Grants for Arts Projects (GAP): supports a variety of initiatives to strengthen the arts and cultural ecosystem
• Challenge America: offers support to small organizations for projects that reach underserved groups
• Research Grants in the Arts: supports research on the value and impact of the arts
• NEA Research Labs: supports research teams investigating the impact of the arts
• Literature Fellowships: supports writers and translators to create new work

Please note, there may be a delay in the distribution of awards as the NEA and all of the federal government are operating under a continuing budget resolution. For more information on all NEA’s grant opportunities, including 2025 deadlines, and resources for applicants and awardees, including a guide for first-time applicants, visit the Grants section of arts.gov.

About the National Endowment for the Arts

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. To learn more, visit arts.gov or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.