OPERATING GRANTS
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FY27 Grants Update
***The Metro Arts Commission reviewed and approved the following funding recommendations for both FY27 Thrive and General Operating Support grants on August 19. Additional communications will be sent out to all applicants shortly with updates to follow.***
Our Grants and Funding Committee met on Monday, August 10 to review information from the FY27 grant cycle and make funding recommendations that will go before the Metro Arts Commission. A video recording of this meeting is available here and the Committee’s recommendations are available below:
These recommendations will be reviewed by the Metro Arts Commission on Wednesday, August 19 beginning at 1pm at the Metro Southeast Facility (1417 Murfreesboro Pike). All Metro Arts Commission and Committee meetings are open to the public for anyone interested in attending or providing public comment in-person or online. Commission meetings are also available to live stream or watch afterwards on the Metro Nashville Network’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, while we work through this process, we are unable to discuss individual application status until after the Commission has finalized funding decisions.
FY27 Grants Update 6/27/26
Our application window for FY27 Operating Support grants has officially closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted!
Metro Arts General 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. The full Operating Support Grant guidelines are available here.
Please consider utilizing the following resources:
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The Operating Support Resource Guide includes FAQs and guidance for preparing your proposal.
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Video Walkthrough of Grant Guidelines: Metro Arts staff provide an overview of eligibility criteria, processes, requirements, and more. An abridged version of the slides used in the video are available here.
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Information Sessions: Attend an information session for an overview of the Guidelines and plenty of time for questions and discussion:
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Monday, May 18, 2026, 10:00-11:00am: Virtual on Webex. Please RSVP to receive a link.
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Thursday, May 21, 2026, from 4:00-5:00pm at the Metro Arts Office at Metro Southeast (1417 Murfreesboro Pike). No RSVP required.
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Drop-in Office Hours and Co-Working: Our first Drop-In session will be held on Friday, May 15 from 8 AM - 12 PM at the Downtown Farmer's Market. No appointments or RSVPs necessary, just drop by to ask questions and/or work on your application. Our drop-in schedule is as follows:
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Friday, May 15, 8-11 AM: Downtown Farmer’s Market
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Friday, May 22, 8-11 AM: Downtown Farmer’s Market
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Wednesday, May 27, 1-4 PM: Looby Library
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Friday, May 29, 10 AM-4 PM: Drkmttr
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Thursday, June 4 (12 PM to 3 PM) at Looby Library
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Tuesday, June 9 (1 PM to 5 PM) at McCabe Center
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Friday, June 12 (8 AM to 11 AM) at the Downtown Farmer’s Market
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Monday, June 15 (12 PM to 3 PM) at Plaza Mariachi
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Monday, June 22 (12 PM to 2:30 PM) at the Edgehill Library Branch
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Wednesday, June 24 (8 AM to 11 AM) at the Downtown Farmer’s Market, with Coffee Talk from 9:30 AM to 11 AM
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Friday, June 26 (9 AM to 3 PM) at Shelby Bottoms Nature Center
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Sign up for 1:1 Virtual Meeting: Sign up for a 30-minute virtual session with Metro Arts staff using Microsoft Bookings at the link here. Please prepare specific questions beforehand to ensure we can cover as much as possible in our time together.
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Metro Arts Submittable: All applications must be submitted in Submittable.
Email us any time at arts.grants@nashville.gov with questions, comments, and suggestions. This inbox is monitored and managed by multiple members of the grant support team.
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Metro Arts is pleased to announce our FY26 grant recipients!
This cycle covers 165 grants totaling $3,262,593 to support nonprofit arts organizations and artist-led community projects across Davidson County. These awards (79 General Operating Support grants and 86 Thrive project grants) reflect the creativity and resilience of Nashville’s arts community and will help sustain programs, deepen community engagement, and spark new work across 30 council districts. We thank the artists, organizations, review panelists, and community members whose care and commitment shaped this competitive process, and we remain focused on improving access and resources for all who create in Nashville.
Our General Operating Support recipients are available here. The full list of Thrive recipients is available here.
Grant partners: You can find our most-requested forms and reports on our Partner Tools page.
For questions or assistance, please contact Metro Arts staff at Arts.grants@nashville.gov.
We strive to provide individuals with disabilities and all community members with equitable access to Metro Arts opportunities. To request accommodations, please contact Vivian Foxx at 615-862-6730, TTY Relay Service 800-848-0298.