Arts Build Communities

The South Central Tennessee Development District is pleased to announce the availability of the Arts Build Communities Grant (ABC) Program through the Tennessee Arts Commission on April 1st, 2025. This program is designed to provide support for arts projects that broaden access to arts experiences, address community quality of life issues through the arts, or enhance the sustainability of asset-based cultural enterprises.

ABC funds may be used to:

• provide innovative arts experiences that are new or unfamiliar to community residents, offer arts programs that are designed to help affect positive change in community social issues
• develop arts programming that strengthens social networks through community engagement, undertake cultural arts initiatives that enhance a community’s identity and/or economic development
• offer training that helps experienced or emerging artists/arts administrators develop entrepreneurial skills or innovative strategies for building sustainability.

This grant program is open to 501 (c) (3) organizations or an entity of government if it meets all applicable requirements described in the guidelines. Individuals and organizations that are major cultural institutions, cultural education partnerships, or partnership support funding are not eligible to apply for ABC funding. Colleges and universities are eligible only for activities that clearly serve the needs of surrounding communities or the State and are designed to involve a broad audience. Activities that are credit-producing or are oriented primarily to collegiate students and the academic community are not eligible. In recent years, the ABC grants have been awarded to various entities, including the City of Mount Pleasant for the implementation of an acrylic painting course, Columbia State Community College for hosting public art exhibitions, Hope Hohenwald for presenting acoustical music performances in the park, the City of Winchester for their annual “Tis the Season” holiday festival, the Town of Normandy for organizing their fall festival and street dance, and 431 Ministries for their Annual Gala.

The maximum request is $5,000. There is no match requirement for this grant. Only one grant application may be submitted per applicant per year. The proposed project must take place and grant funds must be used between August 16, 2025 – June 15, 2026. Applications must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. (CT) July 1, 2025.