“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.
Operating Support grants provide funding for the general operations of arts-focused nonprofit organizations based in Davidson County. An arts-focused organization is one whose primary mission is to directly support the performance, exhibition, or instruction of art and whose majority of programming supports the performance, exhibition, instruction, creation, or education in the arts. Art refers to several artistic genres including, but not limited to dance, film and media arts, craft, literary arts, music, performance art, multidisciplinary work, theater, or visual arts.
Grant funds may be used to support the general operations of your organization. There are certain things operating support grants cannot be used for: capital improvements, reduction of debts, activities or programs with religious practices or intent, political lobbying, or purchase of real property.
If awarded, the grant period will run from the day your grant contract is signed (anticipated to be mid to late October) and run through June 30, 2026.
Before submitting an application, please review the full guidelines, available on the Metro Arts website.
If you have any questions, please contact us at arts.grants@nashville.gov. We encourage first time applications to contact us before applying. You may also schedule a virtual one-on-one meeting with a member of our staff at this link.
Applications are due Friday, August 15, 2025, at 11:59pm.
Metro Arts' Thrive grant connects artists and/or organizations with the community to create investments, cultural connections, and transformations. Thrive empowers artists and organizations to strengthen and cultivate communities in Davidson County. Thrive supports artist-led, community-based art projects that include collaboration between artists and community partners and organizations. Thrive grants are open to individual artists, nonprofit organizations with lead artists identified, and artist collectives or teams. Thrive is for project-based grants and applicants may request up to $15,000.
Successful projects will align with Metro Arts’ mission and Thrive goals and objectives by impacting neighborhoods or communities, actively engaging residents through community input in project planning, decision making, and artmaking, and exhibiting and promoting cultural equity in project design, process, and content.
Grant funds may be used for expenses directly related to the proposed project, including but not limited to artist fees, project/program supplies, performance or venue fees, marketing, community engagement, etc. There are certain things Thrive grants cannot be used for, including: general operating expenses of an organization, capital improvements, reduction of debts, activities or programs with religious intent, study or practice, political lobbying, or purchase of real property. Thrive grants may not be used for the creation, installation, or maintenance costs of public artwork.
If awarded, the grant period will run from the day your grant contract is signed (anticipated to be mid to late October) and run through June 30, 2026.
Before submitting an application, please review the full guidelines, available on the Metro Arts website.
If you are using a fiscal sponsor, you should add them as a collaborator on your application. Only the applicant will be able to submit the application or additional forms. Collaborators will be able to contribute responses and save drafts at any time.
If you have any questions, please contact us at arts.grants@nashville.gov. We encourage first time applications to contact us before applying. You may also schedule a virtual one-on-one meeting with a member of our staff at this link.
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."
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.
In order for Metro to evaluate proposals, applicants are required to provide information about the temporary artwork proposal via Submittable at least three (3) months prior to the anticipated installation date. Metro Arts will be reviewing proposals with the Metro department managing the proposed artwork site.
If you experience any technical difficulties submitting your proposal, 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 Collections Manager, at Anne-Leslie.Owens@nashville.gov.