“Metro Arts” is the office of Arts & Culture for the city of Nashville and Davidson County. We believe that arts drive a more vibrant and equitable community. We strive to ensure that all Nashvillians have access to a creative life through community investments, artist and organizational training, public art and creative placemaking coordination and direct programs that involve residents in all forms of arts and culture.
Metro Arts is expanding the Metro Arts Lending Library, a partnership with the Nashville Public Library launched in 2021. Metro Arts purchased sixty artworks from local artists in 2020, a critical time for many Nashville artists dealing with impacts of the March 3 tornado and COVID-19 outbreak. Of the purchased artworks, thirty are based at Madison Branch Library and thirty at Southeast Branch Library, and all are available for 3-month checkout by library patrons. These artworks are part of the city’s Public Art Collection.
As part of Metro Arts’ commitment to community-centered public art, we invite community members who live in Davidson County and have an interest in art to apply to be a community selection panelist for Phase II of the Lending Library.
This new phase of the program expands the Lending Library and Public Art Collection while providing direct support to local artists and making local artwork even more accessible to the public. At least sixty (60) artists will be selected and one artwork from each artist will be identified for purchase. Metro Arts will divide artworks among five Nashville Public Library branches. The size of the collection at each branch will vary depending on available display space.
Metro Arts needs 4-8 community members for each selection panel. Selected panelists will review and select artwork submitted by local Davidson County Artists for the project. Each panelist will serve approximately 18-20 hours total and will be paid a stipend of $850 (it will take 2-3 months to receive payment). Panelists will be required to review submitted artwork online and attend three in-person meetings. All in-person meetings will take place in Metro Southeast offices (1417 Murfreesboro Pike, 37217) between the hours of 9am-4pm. Panelists are required to complete the online review and attend the three in-person meetings (attendance is required at all meetings). Dates for each are below:
Lending Library Art Selection Panel Dates
- In-Person Panel Orientation/Training Meeting on Tuesday, January 23, 2024 (1-3pm)
- Online Review between January 24-February 1, 2024
- In-Person, Round 1 Review on Monday, February 5 (between the hours of 9am-4pm)
- In-Person Final Review on Monday, February 12 (between the hours of 9am-4pm)
If interested, please confirm your availability for the required in-person meetings above and complete the brief online application no later than Thursday, January 4, 2024, by 11:59pm. Metro Arts will assemble the panel to promote a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and organizations while filling the roles defined in the Public Art Guidelines. Those selected will be notified on January 19, 2024. Application Deadline is Thursday, January 4, 2024, 11:59 p.m.
Please contact Jesse Ross (jesse.ross@nashville.gov or 615-862-6737) with any questions.
Please complete if you have been selected for monitoring for your ABC grant.
Metro recently adopted an ordinance and guidelines for the purpose of evaluating potential donated artworks. This policy plans for the fact that there are limited suitable sites on public property for placement of donated artworks and limited public funds for maintenance and conservation of donated artworks. Each artwork will be evaluated by the Public Art Committee and the Metro Arts Commission in addition to the Metro Department accepting the donation.
In order for Metro to evaluate donations, donors are required to provide information about the artwork donation via Submittable at least six (6) months prior to the anticipated donation acceptance date. You may also download the donor checklist/worksheet to assist in the process of gathering information about your artwork.
***PLEASE NOTE** Donations of artwork that require the city to pay for costs such as installation, transportation, site preparation or repair are not encouraged. Artwork requiring high or excessive maintenance may be declined.
Ordinance No. BL2015-1277 "D. Unless the metropolitan council has appropriated funding specifically for the installation and maintenance costs for the donated artwork, a donor’s proposal shall include funding adequate to cover all costs for the design, fabrication, insurance, transportation, storage, installation, and maintenance of the proposed artwork for a period of ten years from the date of acceptance, plus contingency funds for reasonable unforeseen circumstances."
Metro Arts is interested in recruiting Nashville/Davidson County residents to join the Committee for Antiracism & Equity (CARE) of the Arts Commission. Particularly, individuals who have an interest in forwarding equity work within the arts and cultural sector. The Metro Arts Board of Commissioners established the Committee for Anti-Racism and Equity (CARE), comprised of community members and Commission members, as a standing committee to support Metro Arts in keeping the promise of its mission to drive an equitable and vibrant community through the arts. CARE is committed to holding Metro Arts accountable in becoming fully antiracist in its identity and working for equity in all policies and practices with the goal of dismantling all systems of oppression within the arts ecosystem.
Each member will need to commit to the following prior to joining the team:
• Within 3 months of being appointed, required attendance at an antiracism training.
• Demonstrated commitment to work toward a common understanding of the goal of racial equity.
• Demonstrated ability to apply an antiracist analysis to the organization as well as the team and the self (as individuals).
• Attend meetings regularly.
In addition, several norms and agreements have been formulated by existing members, which include:
Be accountable to stakeholders of color, all genders and other marginalized groups by viewing questions, issues, and topics of discussion through an antiracist lens.
Identify connections between systemic racism and other forms of marginalization, exclusion, and oppression including those related to race, gender, sexuality, and ability.
Be able to name and define systemic racism and its roots.
Recognize existing injustices and commit to the ongoing work.
If you are interested in being considered, please fill out the following application.
Thank you for your interest in submitting a proposal for Temporary Art on Metro Property in Nashville-Davidson County, TN. To ensure your project is eligible, please read the complete guidelines before proceeding to the application.
Please note that this is not a call to artists and there is no funding associated with this review and approval process. Artists and applicant organizations must work primarily in Davidson County to be eligible to apply.
If you experience any technical difficulties submitting to this application, please contact Submittable's Customer Support team.
For questions regarding the content of the application or the guidelines, please contact Anne-Leslie Owens, Public Art Project Manager, at Anne-Leslie.Owens@nashville.gov.