A free Arts Build Communities (ABC) grant workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 8, at 4:00pm, for those interested in applying under the grant program. Hosted by Dr. Ellen Kanervo, executive director of the Clarksville Arts & Heritage Council, the workshop will be held in the glass study room at the back of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library (350 Pageant Lane #501, Clarksville). While attendance at the workshop is not mandatory, applicants are strongly encouraged to attend.
Arts Build Communities is a program funded by the Tennessee Arts Commission and administered by the Clarksville Arts & Heritage Council in cooperation with the Tennessee Arts Commission. ABC grants 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. Arts disciplines covered by this grant program include dance, music, opera/musical theatre, theatre, visual arts, design arts, crafts, photography, media arts, literature, interdisciplinary and folk arts.
Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations and local entities of government in Cheatham, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys, Montgomery, Robertson and Stewart counties are eligible to request up to $5,000 for arts and cultural projects that benefit the community and take place between August 16, 2025, and June 15, 2026. Applications that propose arts activities that extend between June 15 and June 20 due to event-specific required dates (ex: Juneteenth) may request an exception to policy to be eligible for Arts Build Communities grants as long as proposed projects conclude with all project expenses disbursed by June 20, 2026. In FY2026, this grant does not require matching funds.
Applications must be submitted online by 11:59pm (CST) on July 1 through the Tennessee Arts Commission’s online grant system at tnarts.fluxx.io. Applicants accessing the Online Grants System for the first time must register their organizations and create an organizational profile. Guidelines are available at https://tnartscommission.org/
Applications will be reviewed by an advisory panel and discussed at a virtual panel review meeting at 10:00am on Friday, July 25. A representative from the applying organization is strongly encouraged to participate to answer questions that may arise about the application or proposed project. Awards will then be announced in mid-August.
All events funded in part or entirely with ABC funds must be open to the general public. Community involvement is an important component in the planning and implementation of ABC projects. Since ABC awards are not restricted to arts organizations, this grant program brings the arts to a larger segment of the community through arts projects at public schools, libraries and other service organizations.
For more information, please contact Dr. Ellen Kanervo, executive director of the Clarksville Arts & Heritage Council, at [email protected].